Angel
by CaptureMeIfYouCan
Summary: "I'm not an Angel of Mercy, a savior come to rescue all; I'm an Angel of Death." Being strong isn't easy. Being broken isn't an option. Being somewhere in between isn't possible. Enemies are created. Friends are gone. Lies are told. Love is lost. Mistakes are made. Lessons are learned. All is not forgiven. And none is forgotten.
1. Shadow

_Ok, so this is my first time ever writing a chapter book? novel? What would it be called on the computer? Anyways, I've only ever written little picture book type stories, so this like a big leap for me. Also, I've only written about real life experiences and just spun them a bit, nothing sci-fi like this. Another thing is that I'm not very familiar with all the proper words and stuff, so if my terminology is a bit off, please point out and correct me._

**Shadow**

Rex watched as his men were picked off one-by-one. The battle was not going well at all. They were vastly outnumbered and were tiring.

"Come on," General Skywalker called, "everyone, keep moving."

Rex groaned. His legs were tired, and his blasters seemed heavier than usual. He, and the rest of his men, were suffering from lack of sleep, food, and water, and yet there were still expected to follow the General on one of his damn-fooled crusades.

Rex saw, in the distance, as Jesse was hit and went down with a cry of pain. Rex flinched as the sound of Jesse's cry echoed in his helmet. Suddenly, a shadow seemed to fall out of the sky and land next to Jesse. Rex narrowed his eyes and tried to see better, but Jesse was too far away for him to get a good look at the shadow.

Rex was snapped out of his scrutiny of the shadow by a blaster bolt that just barely missed his head. _Better pay attention, or you'll end up with the shadow next to you,_ he taunted himself. Rex turned his attention back to the battle. When he looked up again, the shadow was gone.

* * *

Cody crouched, hidden by the shadows and cliffs, waiting for the droids to come marching by. _Come on, tinnies. Hurry up so we can shoot you, than go home._ Cody sighed and shifted his weight from on foot to the other.

Finally he heard the distinctive sound of the droids approaching, and felt like breathing out a sigh of relief. The droids got closer and Cody tensed, readying himself to leap out of the little cave he and a handful of his men were hiding in.

"Commander," Boil said, contacting Cody from where he was hidden in another cave, "there's a bit of a situation."

"Already?" Cody grumbled. "We haven't even started the attack, yet. The problems are supposed to come _after_ we start shooting these kriffin' tinnies."

"Well, sir," Cody could hear amusement in Boil's voice, "_we_ haven't attacked, but Rex and his men have, and _they_ are the ones with the problem."

"What's they're problem?" Cody asked, pausing to realize that, because of the tone of voice he had used, his question could be interpreted as him being rude.

"Anakin has decided it best to follow his own path instead of the one originally planned and marked for him," Obi-wan's voice joined the conversation.

_Of course he has,_ Cody thought in exasperation. "So what _situation_ is the General stuck in this time?" he asked with a sigh.

"It seems he has managed to get himself trapped, outnumbered, and outgunned," Kenobi said.

Cody snorted. _Typical._ "So what's the plan, General?" he asked.

Kenobi grew quiet as he thought. "We'll take out these droids first, since they'll be going to reinforce their forces up where Anakin is, and then we'll go to help," he decided.

"Well, here they are," Cody said, as the droids marched past the clones' hiding places.

The order to attack went up, and Cody and his men leaped out of all the different caves they were in, startling the droids. It was a few moments before the droids figured out they were under attack, but when they did, their return fire came hard and heavy.

Cody saw Waxer get hit, but decided not to worry too much because… Yes, Boil was standing over his brother, protecting him from the onslaught of the droids. He saw the KIA tick marks start forming on is HUD, and forced himself to focus. There would be time to see the names of who had been killed later.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cody saw green laser shots join the fight, striking their marks with deadly precision. Whoever it was, was taking out the droids, though, so he didn't put too much thought into it.

Trapper went down, and Cody snuck a look at the KIA marks. No, Trapper's name wasn't on there. Yet. He sighed with relief, and started making his way over to his fallen brother, taking out as many droids as he could as he went. He was a little ways away, when he realized there was someone already kneeling down next to Trapper.

Whoever it was looked up suddenly, saw Cody staring at them, and then jumped up and fled. Cody tried to follow them with the heat sensors on his helmet, but the being just seemed to disappear into midair.

Cody immediately forgot about the stranger when he saw a new wave of droids converging on them.

"This isn't going to work," he growled in frustration to no one in particular. "General Skywalker is going to have to get himself out of trouble this time."

Then he thought about Rex and the rest of Torrent Company, and found renewed strength. He finally made his way to Trapper, who was lying on the ground, his helmet removed, his eyes closed.

"Trapper," Cody snapped. He waited for the trooper to respond, but no answer came. Cody leaned down to inspect the body of his friend, and saw fresh wrapping covering the blaster wound. He also noticed Trapper's lips were moving and leaned down to listen.

"Just like an angel," Trapper murmured, almost inaudibly.

Cody stood back up straight, pondering what Trapper had just said. He repeated it silently to himself in his head. _Just like an angel…_

* * *

Cody walked into the briefing room and sat down next to Rex. The Captain gave a nod of greeting to Cody, and Cody returned the greeting. The Jedi arrived shortly afterward, and the meeting began. Cody noticed how Ahsoka was sitting strategically so she was facing her Masters, but she could acknowledge Rex at the same time.

Rex switched his communication channel so he could have a private conversation with Cody, deciding to make the most out of the hours they were going to be stuck in the briefing.

"You've seemed distracted ever since we came back from that mission on that rock planet." Rex said. "What was it called?" He caused Cody to start, which confirmed what he had just said.

"Oh, I've just been thinking about something odd that happened while we were down there," Cody responded.

"Awe, did the Shadow stop by you, too?" Rex teased.

Cody paused; "Shadow? No, I was thinking more like an angel. That's what Trapper said, at least."

"Oh, so he did stop by you!"

"No, not me. He stopped by Trapper. Trapper claims he saved his life."

"Same with Jesse, who also referred to our mystery being as an "angel". Do you think he told them to say that?"

"Maybe. How do we even know it's a he?"

Rex shrugged and said, "I don't know. I just can't seem to imagine a little girl dropping out of the sky during a battle and saving random lives."

Cody grinned. "You're right. You probably imagine little girls doing other things. Preferably with you," he teased.

Rex glanced at the Generals, and then reached out and smacked Cody in his stomach. Cody let out a quiet _oomph_ as the _thwack_ echoed around the room. Both Generals stopped in their discussion and turned to look at Cody and Rex.

"I agree, General," Rex said to Skywalker.

Anakin nodded; "Thank you, Rex." He sounded very satisfied.

"What did I just agree to?"Rex asked Cody as soon as their Generals had turned away.

Cody shrugged. "How should I know? You're the one that did the agreeing."

Ahsoka was still watching the two clones with a look of amusement on her face.

"Master," she said suddenly, standing up, "I'm going to use the refresher."

Anakin looked annoyed, but nodded, giving her permission. As she walked by Rex, Ahsoka handed him her datapad with all the notes she had taken. A few of the notes were circled.

"That's what you just agreed to," she breathed, almost silent, as she passed.

Rex looked down, his eyes quickly scanning the Padawan's notes. He groaned quietly when he saw he had agreed with his General that deviating off course in their last mission had been a better idea than following the original plan.

"That's what you get for not paying attention," Cody said, his amusement obvious by the tone of his voice.

"You weren't paying attention, either," Rex pointed out.

"You're right," Cody agreed, "but I didn't agree with something that I didn't agree with."

Ahsoka returned and Rex slipped her the datapad, his hand lingering in hers a second longer than necessary. Ahsoka took the datapad and returned to her seat. When her Masters' backs were turned, she mouthed to Cody and Rex, "Pay attention this time."

* * *

Ahsoka lay in her quarters, but she was far from sleep. She imagined Rex taunting her, "Scared the Shadow is out to get you?" That had quickly become the name of the mysterious being that had saved the lives of Jesse and Trapper. Both men had needed only minimal treatment when getting back aboard the _Resolute_, so obviously the Shadow had known what he was doing.

"What if it _is_ female?" Ahsoka had questioned Rex one day. Rex had given her a smile that said '_I'm two steps ahead of you.'_

"Well, Jesse and Trapper originally called the Shadow an angel, so I guess if it is a female, the name will switch to the Angel," he had answered her question, and then promptly muttered under his breath, "still can't imagine a girl dropping out of the sky in the middle of a warzone, though."

Ahsoka sighed and rolled over onto her stomach and rested her chin on her pillow. She stared at the wall, thinking. Whoever it was, was good. They had managed to slip past multiple clones already on high-alert with their senses battle-sharpened. They had also managed to treat at least two fallen clones in the middle of a battle without getting hit themselves and without anyone noticing them. _No one except the two commanding clone officers,_ Ahsoka thought wryly, starting to fall asleep. It was almost as if whoever it was wanted to be known about, just not found out.

Ahsoka jerked back awake. That made the most sense, but she still had one major question before she could start working out the details. _How did the Shadow manage to get to the planet and back off it without us noticing?_ The thought scared her a bit. Either the Shadow was really, _really_ good, or the Republic needed to really tighten up on its security.

No one had asked Jesse or Trapper about their experience with the Shadow, since they were already planning their next attack. Ahsoka decided that it was time someone at least tried to get some information on the Shadow.

She got up and slipped out into the darkened hallway. _Just about everyone should be asleep, or, like me, lying in their quarters feigning sleep,_ she thought as she made her way to the clones' quarters. Ahsoka decided that, since she didn't know exactly where Jesse or Trapper's quarters were, she would stop by Rex's quarters, first, and ask him. Softly, she knocked on the door, waiting a moment until it opened.

"Commander?" Rex asked sleepily.

"Rex, it's only me. You can quite with the 'Commander' act," Ahsoka said, somewhat annoyed, somewhat amused.

Rex stuck his head out the door to double-check, and then wrapped one arm around Ahsoka's tiny frame and pulled her into his quarters. Ahsoka barely had time to catch her breath before Rex pinned her up against the now-closed door and his lips descended on hers. They broke apart a few moments later, gasping for breath.

"This is not why I came looking for you," Ahsoka said breathlessly. Rex took a step back and studied her with raised eyebrows. "Not that I'm complaining," Ahsoka added quickly.

Rex smiled and pulled her back against him. He leaned down and kissed her again. "That's what I thought," he said against her lips. Ahsoka moaned and relaxed against him. Rex started trailing kisses down her neck and then back up to her lips. After another few moments, though, Ahsoka gently pushed him away.

Rex sighed and stepped back. "Okay, okay, I get it. This is not why you came to me." Ahsoka smiled at how disappointed he sounded.

"Yes, I was coming to ask where Jesse or Trapper's quarters were," she said, walking over to his bed and stretching out on it.

Rex eyed her. "Comfy?" he asked. Ahsoka nodded, closed her eyes, and pretended to snore. Rex grabbed her firmly by both arms and dragged her off his bed. Ahsoka let out a 'hmph' of mutiny as Rex set her on the floor next to his bed.

"Why do you want to know?" Rex asked. His voice was guarded, and Ahsoka sighed in exasperation.

"Not for that reason, my over-sensitive, insecure one," she told him.

"I am not insecure," Rex protested. Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at him as he added, "or over-sensitive."

"_Anyways,_" she said. "I want to know because they both came into contact with the Shadow, and I want to know all I possibly can about him."

"Why?" Rex asked. He obviously hadn't put as much thought into it as Ahsoka or Cody had.

"Because whoever it is is good," Ahsoka said, climbing back into Rex's bed and stretching out next to him. "Like, _really _good. The Shadow managed to get past an entire fleet of Republic frigates, unnoticed; down into a warzone, unnoticed by anyone except the two clone commanding officers and the people he treated; he managed to get back off the planet, unnoticed; and then go into hyperspace, and he was, oh by the way, unnoticed when doing that, too."

Rex wrapped one arm around Ahsoka's petite waist and leaned his head into the crook of her neck. "When you put it that way, the Shadow sounds less friend and more foe," he said, his warm breath against her neck.

Ahsoka nodded. "Exactly."

Rex sighed and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Come on, then," he said. "Let's go talk to the two victims of the Shadow."

Ahsoka laughed; "Now you're really making him sound like an enemy."

Rex nodded, mimicking Ahsoka. "Exactly."

* * *

Rex watched with amusement as Ahsoka woke Jesse by blowing softly on his ear. Jesse startled awake, confusion clouding his gaze when he saw Ahsoka.

"Commander?" he asked. Ahsoka nodded.

"Up, up, Jesse. I want to talk to you," she said.

"Uh, oh," Jesse muttered.

"Trapper, too," Ahsoka told the trooper. "And you're not in any trouble."

She led the way out into the hallways, where she instructed Rex and Jesse to wait while she went to get Trapper. She came back a few moments later, Trapper in tow.

"Commander, what's going on?" Trapper asked, stifling a yawn.

Ahsoka started making her way towards the Galley, and Rex, Jesse, and Trapper followed.

"I just wanted to ask you about the Shadow," she said as they walked. Jesse turned to his Captain and raised an eyebrow, silently asking '_why?'_

"The Commander believes the Shadow might be less friend and more foe," Rex explained.

"Hmm," Trapper said. "I guess I never thought of them like that, since they saved my life."

"Exactly," Rex and Ahsoka said simultaneously.

They reached the Galley and Ahsoka made some caf for the half-asleep troopers. She carried all the mugs over and handed them to the clones, before grabbing a mug for herself and settling herself down across the table from Jesse and Trapper. She waited while they took a few sips and then began.

"I want to know _everything_," she said, emphasizing the 'everything.' "Even the tiniest detail that you think irrelevant."

Trapper stared down into his caf, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"Fire," he said.

"Water," Jesse stated at the same time.

Ahsoka and Rex exchanged a glance and then turned back to the troopers. She made a hand gesture, indicating that she wanted them to explain.

"When the Shadow was patching me up, they injected something into my neck, and their hair came by my face," Jesse explained. "Its smell reminded me of water."

"So, the Shadow obviously has long hair," Ahsoka said.

Jesse nodded. "It was a golden color, wavy, pulled back into a ponytail, cool in temperature, and really soft."

"Was all that really necessary?" Trapper asked.

Jesse shrugged; "Commander said all details, no matter how irrelevant."

Ahsoka laughed quietly. "You're right," she said, "I did."

"Okay, well, the smell I got from the Shadow reminded me of fire," Trapper said. "They leaned down close to listen to my breathing, at least that's what I guess they were doing, and the smell from their skin reminded me of fire."

Ahsoka nodded and Rex copied down what the troopers were saying in his datapad. "Good, you're taking notes this time," she said. Rex made a face at her, but didn't say anything.

"The Shadow had blue eyes," Trapper said. "I remember _that_, even though I was half-unconscious, because he shook me really hard and then stared me in the eyes saying that it looked like one of my friends was coming to help me."

Ahsoka's brow furrowed in confusion. "What exactly did he say?" she asked Trapper.

Trapper paused, remembering. "He said, and I quote "I need you to stay alive, okay? You're pulse and breathing is strong and normal. The shot was only a flesh wound and you should heal pretty-" and then he cut off," Trapper said. "He paused for a moment and then he shook me and said "I need to leave now, but it looks like one of your friends is coming to help you."

Jesse looked distracted and he had his eyebrows pushed together in concentration.

"The Shadow spoke to me, too," he added. "I remember his voice very clearly; it was soft and gentle and very soothing. His hands were smooth and warm, and he was strong."

Both soldiers became quiet as they thought. Finally, Trapper shook his head.

"Sorry, Commander, but I can't remember anything else."

Ahsoka looked disappointed, but then her eyes lit back up.

"Wait, if you two can so easily explain how the Shadow felt, and sounded, and smelled like, why can't you explain what he looked like?" She sounded excited. "I mean, he leaned down, like, right in your faces."

"Whoever this Shadow is, is good," Jesse said. Ahsoka looked pointedly at Rex, who gave a small sigh of defeat. Jesse ignored his Captain and Commander and continued. "They managed to keep the sun behind them the entire time, so my vision was blurred whenever I tried to look up."

Ahsoka let out a huff of frustration.

"So, technically, we have nothing," she said.

"Actually, I have some information I can contribute," Cody said from the doorway of the Galley, startling everyone.

He walked in, made himself a mug of caf, and sat down next to Rex. He pulled out his datapad and tossed it down on the table in front of Ahsoka. Ahsoka glanced at it, and then looked up at Cody, confused.

"It's just names of different guns and arms dealers," she said.

Cody nodded, and took a sip of his caf. "Keep reading."

Ahsoka looked back down at the datapad and quickly scanned through the rest of what Cody had written.

"They all use the same kind of ammo, but it's different from the kind most people use," Ahsoka said, looking up again, still confused.

Cody nodded again and reached for his datapad. Ahsoka pushed it so it was out of reach for him. "Not until you explain what this means," she said. Cody sighed and took another sip of his caf.

"Sometime in the battle, someone else joined in. They seemed to be fighting on our side because they were taking out those frakkin' tinnies and not us," Cody said. "Whoever it was could shoot. They took out those droids with an almost frightening precision. That also means that whoever it was, had been trained in combat skills."

Ahsoka looked down at the datapad and back up at Cody in exasperation. "I'm still not seeing the connection."

"Commander, whoever was shooting, was using that type of ammo. Since it is not a commonly used type of ammo, I'm guessing we could, I don't know, call around, see if anyone who sells it could give us any useful info." Now Cody sounded exasperated.

"You think that the person that joined in could have been the Shadow?" Ahsoka asked, finally catching on.

Cody nodded. "It makes sense. I wouldn't expect any civvie, let alone one or two in the middle of a battle. That would also explain how the Shadow got to Trapper so quickly, if he was already on the battlefield."

Ahsoka nodded, looked down at the datapad one last time, than handed it to Cody.

"So, let's go make some of those calls," she said, getting up. "Oh, by the way," she said, turning around as she walked, "my Masters don't need to know what we're doing."

* * *

Ahsoka stood silently off to the side, listening as Cody argued with and tried to negotiate with one of the arms dealers that had been on his list. She had her datapad in one hand and was frantically taking notes, trying to keep up with the rapid conversation.

"I don' know wha' you're 'alking about," the dealer said. "I am a chef, no' an arms dealer."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes at his dialect, trying hard to understand it as she wrote.

"We have proof of your deals with known bounty hunters and criminals, but that's not why we're contacting you," Cody said, for about the seventh time in a row.

"Why are you con'ac'ing me?" the dealer asked in his annoying accent.

"We need to ask you a few questions about a weapon you may have recently sold," Cody said, relieved he was finally getting somewhere with the paranoid arms dealer.

The dealer stayed silent so Cody continued.

"We were wondering if you could give us a description of everyone you've sold to within the last week."

"I have no' sold 'o anyone wi'hin 'he las' week," said the dealer.

Cody nodded; "Thank you, that's all."

The connection was cut, and Cody sat back with a sigh.

"Well, that got us nowhere," Ahsoka said. "And that was the last call."

She stood up and yawned. "I'm going back to bed. Thanks for helping."

* * *

She walked sleepily down the hallway to her quarters, and managed to get into her bed before she fell asleep.

"Commander," a clone called, waking Ahsoka. She struggled awake, forcing her eyes open and sitting up.

"Commander," the voice called again. Ahsoka yawned and padded over to her door and opened it.

Rex stood in the doorway, accompanied by Cody, who was holding his datapad. Ahsoka raised her eyebrows, indicating they explain why they had woke her up when she could still be sleeping.

"We contacted all the dealers again, and one of them gave us the name of another dealer," Cody said. Ahsoka nodded, trying hard to stay awake enough to pay attention.

"Then we contacted this other dealer, and he did have some useful information for us."

Ahsoka woke up at that, and grabbed for Cody's datapad. On the screen was a crude picture of a being that was slim and average in height.

"Apparently, his most recent sale was about four days ago, and it was to someone who wanted to keep their identity a secret," Rex added. "They paid him a good amount of money for him to keep his mouth shut, too."

Ahsoka continued to study the picture, turning it sideways and upside down. Suddenly she gasped, her eyes widening.

"Rex, Cody, the Shadow isn't really a shadow," she said. "It's an angel."

She looked at Rex and saw the shock register in his eyes, before he quickly resumed his neutral face.

"The person we're looking for isn't a male. It's a human girl."


	2. I Promise

_This chapter takes place on Earth, so keep that in mind while you read or it will be a little confusing at first. This is just to introduce some of the other characters that are going to be referenced later on._

**I Promise**

Sasha blew out a raspberry as her social studies teacher started yet _another_ one of her lectures. The teacher heard, shot Sasha an annoyed look, and set down the marker she had been using to write on the white board.

"Ms. Jiana-" she began.

"Sasha," Sasha immediately corrected her. Her full name was Jiana Sasha White, but because her first name was so unusual, she preferred to go by her middle name.

"Ms. _Sasha_," the teacher began again. "Would you mind telling us three things about the war going on in Iraq and Afghanistan right now, since you seem so bored with this class, you must know everything there is to know about it."

Sasha paused for a moment, thinking. "Well, I know that war is taking away parents from their kids and ripping families apart," she said, bitterness making her voice hard. "I know that I don't even really understand why our soldiers are being killed over there. And third, I know that I hate that war."

The class froze, watching their teacher. No one had ever dared to say anything like that to any of the teachers. But of course, Sasha would be the one who would be the first. She was always somehow talking the teachers into thinking that everything every kid did wrong in every class was her fault, and that she should be the one in trouble, not them. She had the respect of almost everyone in the school, including the teachers.

The social studies teacher paused, shocked by the hatred evident in the young girl's voice. "Sasha, honey, I know you're upset that your parents are deployed-"

"For the fifth time," Sasha butted in.

"-And that you're feeling stressed with having to raise your brother-"

"_Little_ brother."

"-And that you feel resentment towards the war because it has taken family members-"

"_All_ my extended family members."

"-But you can't take it out on this class," the teacher finished.

Sasha grimaced. "I know," she forced out through her clenched teeth.

"Good, because hate is such a strong word, and I'm not sure you meant it," her teacher added.

Sasha slowly blew out a breath, trying to control her anger. It would do her no good to go off on the teacher. She'd have to stay after school for detention, and no one would be there to watch her little brother.

* * *

Sasha didn't remember much from the funerals of her family members. She had been little and confused, only noticing that her laughing, curly haired cousin, Lavinia, had been lying too still next to her gentle, understanding aunt. Her art-loving, baking-fanatic grandmother had finally had her hair down, and Sasha remembered thinking of how beautiful she looked with her long, wavy hair spread around her shoulders, even if it was grey in color.

She remembered her teasing, taunting grandfather lying in a suit. She had never seen him in a suit, only in jeans and plain t-shirts, with his hat on his bald head. She remembered looking around for the hat, but not finding it.

She remembered her great-grandmother, looking like she was sleeping, in a dark blue dress adorned with diamonds that sparkled. She also remembered how she had always loved talking to her fragile, aging great-grandmother, who had always been able to offer so much advice and tell such wonderful stories.

She remembered seeing her mother cry for the first time, and seeing her father become completely silent for once. She remembered missing the monthly visits to Arizona to visit that side of her family, and feeling shocked when she was told her grandparent's house, the house that she had spent the majority of her childhood in, had been sold to strangers who weren't too fond of children.

At the next funeral, a couple months later, she saw her other cousins, all three of them, lying side-by-side, too still, too pale. She looked down at her cousin Jamie, who had been nine months younger and too daring for her own good. She saw her dark-haired, teasing, hare-brained cousin Hunter, and, for a moment, almost expected to see him crack his familiar, goofy smile and tell her this was just a bad joke. She saw her oldest cousin, Jake, looking too proper with his hands folded nicely on his stomach and his hair combed to one side. Jake, the one who had always talked them into doing crazy things, but had always taken the blame for it in the end.

Her aunt and uncle were the most peaceful-looking Sasha had seen so far. They both were dressed nicely, and the flowers in her aunt's hands looked like they had always been there.

This time, both her parents cried, and she remembered having to hold and comfort her little brother. She sang softly to him, trying to block out the images of the heart-breaking funeral from his innocent, pure brain. But, she knew it was useless. Her brother had photographic memory, and he had seen everything, even the smallest detail on each coffin, and she knew he would never forget them.

The last funeral she went to was for her other grandparents. Sasha didn't remember much about that funeral. She had been trying her best to protect her younger brother from the sight of more dead relatives and her parents losing what little control they had left over themselves. She had held him in her lap, and told him stories just to try and make him smile. And when all else had failed, she had sung to him, hoping to lull him into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Sasha jumped out of her seat and sped from the room as the final bell rang. She was almost out the door when she heard someone call her name.

"Well, lookie who I found," said a too familiar voice.

Sasha froze and turned around, only to find herself staring into the face of Carley Yeash.

"So, I heard you blew up at the teacher today; care to explain why," Carley taunted.

Carley Yeash. Top girl in the school before Sasha had come along. Most loved and lavished girl before Sasha had started taking the blame for everyone. Most _wanted_ girl, before Sasha had shown her gymnastics/acrobatics routine during the school talent show. Carley Yeash, now the most annoying and unwanted girl in the school.

"Not to you, no," Sasha responded after a moment. She started to walk back out the door, but Carley blocked her with her arms.

"Awe, come on; isn't that what friends are for?"

Sasha let out a breath of harsh laughter. "Oh, so now you're my friend? This just keeps getting better and better." She checked her phone to see the time. "And as much as I would love to hang around and find out what you _really _want, I need to go."

Carley still didn't let her pass. "Oh, that's right," she said in mock concern, "you have a little brother to raise."

Sasha nodded and tried, again, to walk out the door, but was blocked, again, by Carley. Losing her patience, Sasha slammed her shoulder into Carley's left shoulder, causing her to lose balance and stumble backwards. She set off towards her house at a run, making sure she took the path that led through the woods, so that if Carley tried to follow, she would get stuck.

Sasha burst into her house, closed the door, and fell back against it, the day's emotions washing over her again. The hate, and pain, and sadness were the most dominant, even though she could dimly remember laughing with her guyfriends over lunch. But it wasn't enough to ease the pain. It almost made it worse, because it reminded her of when she had sat at the dinner table, laughing with her family.

Sasha took deep breaths, trying to regain control. There would be time to cry later, when she was alone in her room. Her little brother couldn't see her cry, not anymore. He had already watched his parents break down, and Sasha had silently promised him that she would always be there, strong and steady, for him.

Standing back up straight, Sasha walked into the kitchen and started making a smoothie, knowing her brother loved them and would be thirsty from the long walk home. She opened the refrigerator, and sighed, noticing how bare it looked. She'd have to go shopping for food later.

"Mama and Daddy," she said into the air, "please hurry up and come home."

* * *

Sasha closed her eyes as she sank down into her bed. It had been a long day, but she felt satisfied that her little brother had gotten a full meal, and gotten to go outside and play with his friends. He had also come home laughing and smiling, and when he explained why, Sasha had started laughing, too. It felt so good to laugh with someone from her family again.

She lay on her back, staring up at her multiple dream catchers she had hanging on her ceiling. Her brother had asked her about that one night.

"Why do you have so many?" he had asked.

"Because it is very easy for me to have bad dreams, so the more catchers, the less chance I'll have a bad dream," Sasha had answered.

"But why do you worry about bad dreams? I would come to comfort you," innocent, pure, six-year-old brother had said.

"Because you need your sleep, _irmán__."_

"What does irmán mean?

"It means brother in Galician."

_Brother in Galician_, Sasha thought as she drifted off to sleep. _I would call you brother in every language on this planet if I could. _

* * *

She awoke a little bit later to someone trying to sneak into her room. Rolling over, she saw her little brother standing in her doorway, holdng his "blankie."

"Gavin, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned. She reached over and turned on her bedside lamp, still looking at her brother.

"I had a bad dream. I want to go back to sleep in here so you're catchers can stop the bad dream from coming back," he said. Sasha scooted over to one side of her bed, and patted the matress.

"Come on up," she said. Gavin nodded and crawled into bed with her.

"What was your dream about?" Sasha asked when he was snuggled down in her arms.

"I dreamed Mama and Daddy had been killed, just like everyone else in our family," he said sleepily.

_Of course you did,_ Sasha thought, suddenly angry that the world had caused her little brother this fear. No child should fear that their parents won't be coming back from work at the end of the day.

"Well, if that does happen, I'll always be here for you," Sasha said.

"Promise?"

Sasha almost smiled at how childish he sounded. Her too-mature, grown-up-too-fast little brother actually sounded childish again.

"Yes," she whispered as he fell asleep. "I promise."

* * *

Sasha yawned as she walked into the school.

"Six 'o'clock is too early to start learning," she complained to her friend Isaac. Isaac smiled at her.

"Maybe you should start a petition or something. Or convince all the kids not to come to school until, like, eight or something," he suggested. Sasha gave him the _'you're crazy' _look, and he shrugged. "Oh, c'mon. With all these kids you have following you around, you could do it. And I bet you could even get some of the teachers to go along with it."

Sasha snorted. "Yeah, I'll go start writing my persuasion speech as soon as I get into homeroom."

Isaac nodded; "I'll be here if you need any more suggestions," he said, deadpan. Sasha burst into a fit of laughter at his serious expression as they rounded the corner that led to the cafeteria. Because she wasn't paying attention, she bumped into something. Startled she looked up, and saw it was the "new kid", Cody.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," she said as she righted herself. Looking around Cody's shoulder, she saw Isaac trying to contain his laughter without much success.

"No worries," Cody said, bringing Sasha's attention away from Isaac.

Sasha nodded. "Again, sorry."

She caught up to Isaac and smacked him on the back of the head as she walked past.

"Ouch," he said. He turned around to catch up to Sasha and whispered to her, "Don't look now, but the new kid's looking at you."

Sasha didn't know what so-called "normal" girls did, but she had taught herself that when someone says "don't look" find a reflective surface or act distracted by something else, and, well, _look_.

"Awe, dammit," she growled. Sure enough, as Isaac had said, Cody was looking at her; trying to act all nonchalant about it. "Just one more thing to make Carley Yeash hate me."

"I'll take full blame," Isaac said, raising his hand and balancing his tray of food with his other hand.

"Watch out so that doesn't-," Sasha started to warn, but was cut off as someone bumped into Isaac and spilled his breakfast all over the floor, "-spill."

Isaac looked at the mess on the floor, than back up to Sasha. He shrugged as if to say _'oops'_ and started walking to homeroom. Sasha took one look at the mess all over the cafeteria floor, and followed him.

As they made their way to homeroom, they met up with Dryden and Patrick, two more of their friends.

"What happened to you eating breakfast?" Patrick asked as he fell into his usual position: one step behind and to the left of Sasha.

"Isaac spilled it all over the floor, and I think some on Carley," Sasha said.

"Oh, so that's who bumped into me," Isaac said from where he was walking in between Sasha and Dryden.

"Who bumped into you?" Kenny asked as he pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against, obviously waiting for them.

"Carley," Brennan answered breathlessly as he caught up to everyone else. He fell into step behind Dryden as Kenny fell into step behind Isaac and Sasha.

"Oh, I bet she's happy," Dryden said.

"Actually," Jaden answered, as he came out of the bathroom, "she's throwing a fit and is demanding to be sent home so she can change." He paused, waiting for Sasha and the first row to pass, before jumping into his usual place one step behind Patrick.

"So I hear Isaac and Sasha are responsible for causing Carley's latest meltdown," Thomas said as he, Caden, and Ryan joined the group, forming the third row.

"Word travels fast," Sasha commented.

They reached their section of the hallway, and the teachers, who were standing in the middle of the hallway gossiping, looked up.

"Hey," their history teacher, Ms. Barby, said, "it's our usual group. You're all here today."

"You do know that since we're all here, some disturbance is going to happen today," Sasha said.

Ms. Barby smiled. "You always do. In fact, I think you already did. I think Carley would agree."

Sasha blinked and said, "Wow. Word really does travel fast. It's only been, like, a few minutes."

Ms. Barby nodded; "Get on to class, and we'll make sure Carley stays under control."

Sasha half-smiled. "Thanks," she said sincerely.

As they walked over to their lockers, Isaac whisper-coughed, "Petition speech," causing Sasha to elbow him hard in the stomach. Isaac coughed for real and turned to glare at Sasha, but she had already shut her locker and was in her seat, starting on her morning work.

Her best friend Kayla walked in and balanced a piece of paper on Sasha's head, causing her to start. Kayla laughed her soft laugh and continued on to her desk.

Sasha turned to study her friend. Kayla was always saying that Sasha was prettier than her, and that all the boys were bound to fall in love with her, but Sasha had to differ.

Kayla was about the same height as Sasha, give or take a few inches, with wide, bright green eyes, warm-colored skin, and short, curly, golden hair that framed her innocent-looking face and bounced whenever she moved even the slightest bit.

"How was Irish dance?" Sasha called to Kayla. Kayla rolled her eyes and made a face, causing Sasha to laugh.

"That bad, huh?" she asked Kayla through her laughter.

Kayla scowled, looking adorably angry, and nodded. Sasha's laughter died as she caught sight of Kayla's scowl. Kayla tilted her head to the side, confused, and then understanding lit her gaze. She had been to Sasha's house and had seen the pictures of Lavinia. She had also noticed how similar Lavinia had looked compared to her. Her scowl must have reminded Sasha of her late little cousin.

Kayla immediately softened her eyes and put her mouth into a gentle smile, silently saying '_I'm sorry.'_ Sasha slightly nodded her head once, telling Kayla that it wasn't her fault.

"Ms. Barby," Dryden called to their teacher in the hallway, interrupting Sasha and Kayla from their silent conversation. "Kayla and Sasha are doing their weird communicate-with-only-our-eyes thing again."

Ms. Barby peeked her head into the classroom, but Sasha and Kayla had already turned back to their work and were both acting like nothing had happened.

"Never mind," Dryden grumbled, causing both Sasha and Kayla to smile and exchange a triumphant glance.

* * *

Sasha sighed as she flipped through the TV channels. Nothing good was on. She checked the time. Gavin would be home any minute.

"There's like nothing in here," Kayla called from the kitchen.

"Then go buy something," Sasha called back, not wanting to get up from the sofa even though she was bored out of her mind.

"You'll have to give me the money," Kayla said, coming and to the doorway.

"It's on the top of the fridge," Sasha said, glancing up at Kayla.

"And how do I get up there?" Kayla sighed. "You know I'm too short."

"Stand on a chair," Sasha said with a shrug. Kayla stood still for a moment, giving Sasha the '_you're crazy_' look, and then gave another sigh and went back into the kitchen. Sasha heard her drag a chair over to the refrigerator and then heard a thump a couple moments later when Kayla jumped off the chair.

"I'll be back," she called as she left out the side door. Sasha started to say something in response, but decided not to. She checked the time again. Gavin should've been walking through the front door. Except he wasn't. Sasha sighed. He probably stopped to play with his friends.

A knock on the door startled her. Gavin had his house key, and Kayla would have come back in through the side door. Sasha got up and slowly walked to the front door, not feeling up for doing much. It surprised her to see a man dressed in a black suit standing on her front porch. She opened the door.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hi, I'm Chaplain Major Paul Doe. Are you Jiana Sasha White?" he asked.

"Uhh, yeah, err, yes sir," Sasha said, quickly remembering her manners. "Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, please," the chaplain said. Sasha stepped back, allowing him to enter the house. She followed him into the living room and shut off the TV.

"Would you like some water or something?" she asked.

"Yes, some water would be nice," the chaplain said, smiling gratefully. Sasha led him into the kitchen and filled a glass of water for him. She handed it to him and then sat down at the bar next to him.

"So, is there any specific reason you're here, or did my parents just make you stop by for a visit?" she asked him.

"Are these your parents?" Chaplain Paul asked, ignoring her question. He slid two pictures over to her.

"Yes," Sasha said, staring longingly at the pictures. She couldn't wait for her parents to get home. "Why?"

When the chaplain didn't answer, Sasha looked up at him. As soon as she saw the look on his face, she knew what had happened.

"My parents are dead?" Sasha asked in disbelief. "You've made a mistake or something. My parents can't be dead. They promised they would come back." Tears started forming in her eyes and her voice broke. "Daddy promised he would come back to me."

"I am very sorry," the chaplain said. But Sasha almost didn't hear him. 'Sorry' had no comfort. It couldn't bring her parents back. It couldn't bring her parents home. 'Sorry,' at the moment, was cold, empty word that seemed to be mocking her.

"I am very sorry," the chaplain said. But Sasha almost didn't hear him. 'Sorry' had no comfort. It couldn't bring her parents back. It couldn't bring her parents home. 'Sorry,' at the moment, was cold, empty word that seemed to be mocking her.

The side door opened and Kayla walked in, loaded down with grocery bags. She stopped when she saw the scene in front of her.

"Sash-," she started to ask what was wrong, but Sasha held her hands up and back away from the bar, towards the living room.

"Don't," she said. It was the voice that Sasha had used the few times when she had allowed Kayla to see her broken. It was the voice she used after somehow had delivered the death blow. With one last fleeting glance at the broken window, Sasha turned and fled out of the room.

Sasha ran blindly up the stairs and into her room, not bothering to see where she was going. She felt sick with herself. She wasn't supposed to cry, wasn't supposed to lose control. She wasn't supposed to run away from the things that hurt her and the things she feared. She ran into her room and slammed the door shut, ignoring Kayla's calls for her to come back down. The chaplain would tell Kayla, Sasha knew, just like he had told her. And then he would tell Gavin. Sasha groaned quietly. She knew that it was the one thing that would kill her little brother. But she couldn't bring herself to come out of her room and face the world. Finally, she lost the little control she had left, and fell onto her bed, crying.

* * *

_A little bit dark and depressing, I know, but it will help the story make more sense later on._


	3. Explain

**Explain**

Kayla watched Jia run out of the room and heard her feet pouding on the floor above them and the door bang as she disappeared into her room. She turned to the strange man sitting in her kitchen. And then she heard him say the four words that had broken Sasha: "Your parents are dead."

* * *

Kayla gasped and had to lean against the wall to steady herself. Sasha's parents, her adopted parents, _dead?_ She wanted to do what Sasha had done and run out of the room and lock out the world.

"Kayla?" Gavin asked, causing Kayla to startle. "Why aren't Mommy and Daddy coming home."

Kayla looked at the little boy, wanting to explain it to him, but she couldn't do it. She wasn't brave like Sasha, who had practically raised her little brother for almost his entire life. She wasn't resilient, or tough, or sturdy. She didn't know how to keep her emotions in check until she was alone, or harden herself so that no sign of weakness leaked out. She wasn't able to take the punishment like Sasha was, and still be able to make it through each day with a smile on her face, and light laughter coming out of her mouth. She couldn't do anything Sasha could, and she knew she definitely wouldn't be able to smile or laugh again after the funeral. _Funeral!_ Kayla thought in alarm.

* * *

Her head started spinning and the lights in the kitchen were suddenly too bright. The last thing she saw was Gavin's green eyes begging her to explain and make his parents come home.

* * *

_Just a quick little chapter that I decided to add. According to this chapter, Sasha and Kayla are adopted sisters, which is why they are able to communicate so efficiently without using words. Next chapter will be back on the _Resolute _with Cody, Rex, Ahsoka, and everyone trying to figure out more of the puzzle._


	4. Not Here To Make A Mess

**Not Here To Make A Mess**

Ahsoka sat sketching as she listened to her Masters arguing. She looked down at the datapad, switching the screens from the vague picture the dealer had sent Cody, and the notes Rex had taken from Jesse and Trapper. Her sketch was coming along, and starting to look more like a being instead of the blob that the dealer's picture resembles. She glanced up as her Masters' argument got more heated. Sighing, she silently got up and slipped out of the room. It had started getting too crowded.

Ahsoka walked, lost in thought, not really paying attention, until she looked up and found herself on the bridge.

"Commander on deck!" someone said, startling Ahsoka. She looked around as everyone came to stand at attention, and slightly shook her head.

"At ease," she said lightly, walking to where the holo-projector was near the center of the bridge. She sat down and brought up the last planet they had been stationed on. She then brought up the planet the arms dealer was on.

"Over half the galaxy separates them," she murmured to herself as she continued to type in coordinates.

The clones watched their Commander work with interest, until the doors opened again and Rex walked in. He had made sure everyone on the ship knew that watching Ahsoka was his job, and the "shinnies" only made the mistake of eyeing their Commander once, before Rex put them in their place.

Ahsoka gave a growl of frustration when she couldn't find anything more helpful.

"I'm beginning to envy the Angel; I wish I could be this invisible and impossible to find," she said to Rex as he came to stand behind her.

Rex smiled behind his helmet as he watched over Ahsoka's shoulder. Finally, Ahsoka gave up with a huff and stood up straight.

"Stupid Angel," she muttered. She looked up into Rex's visor. "Why does she have to be so good at being invisible?"

Rex shrugged. "Maybe because she may actually be an angel, Commander."

Ahsoka paused and tipped her head to the side as she thought about that.

"Maybe."

* * *

"Sir, we have an incoming transmission from the medical frigate," a trooper said, calling Anakin over to him.

Anakin nodded. "Patch it through."

The face of a clone medic appeared on the small screen.

"Yes?" Anakin said, indicating he wanted an explanation for why his argument with his former master had been interrupted.

"Sir, someone has cut all our vital power supplies out. We managed to get the communications back up, but that's about it," the medic said.

Ahsoka came to stand behind her master, listening with interest. The trooper who had alerted the General about the call was frantically doing some calculations. He held up his datapad to Anakin, who scanned them quickly.

"We're about three systems away. We'll be there as soon as possible," Anakin told the medic.

The medic nodded. "Thank you, sir."

The communication was cut off and Ahsoka rocked back on her heels thoughtfully.

"Who would be able to cut off the power supplies?" she asked her master.

His eyes were dark as he said, "Someone with inside access."

Ahsoka gasped. "You mean, like, a traitor?" she said, appalled.

Anakin nodded; "Yea, Snips, I mean a traitor."

* * *

The emergency lights had come on and were emitting a soft glow. Troopers ran every which way, trying to find the cause of the power outage. One trooper used the chaos as cover as he slipped away. He walked to where his Captain was lying on a bed, unconscious and injured.

One injection was all, and it would look like a natural death. He gripped the syringe in his hand, hesitating as realization of what he was about to do hit him full blast. He studied his drugged up Captain. _I'll make a better Captain. He was too weak to lead, too caring._ With that, the trooper's grip on the syringe relaxed and his hesitation deserted him.

He didn't see the shadow that moved behind him, or hear the soft breathing of another, mobile person in the room. His scanners failed to pick up the heat indication and his 360 vision didn't catch the flash of silver as a knife was produced.

No, a knife would be too messy. She wasn't here to make a mess; she was here to save lives. The Angel put the blade away and hung her knife back on her belt. She crouched, watching her prey, waiting for the right moment. She watched as he approached one of the unconscious clones with a syringe in his hand. _Death by undetectable poison… smart,_ she thought. She would have congratulated this clone on his killing tactic if he hadn't been about to kill an innocent person.

She shifted her weight, getting impatient. _C'mon just turn just a little bit more to the right and it will make this kill much less noisy._ The clone froze, and she froze with him. Movement was always detected before actual people were. She held her breath as she felt his gaze on her through his visor. And then his gaze moved on and she breathed silently again.

He shook his head, as if trying to shake something of his head, and positioned the syringe above the vein in the unconscious man's arm. _Oh, screw not being noisy. You'll kill that man if I wait any longer._ And she leapt at him.

His scanner's picked up the movement and heat right before the body hit him. He reached over his shoulder, trying to use his attacker's momentum to fling them over his shoulder, but they twisted in midair, forcing him to release them. He had dropped the syringe, but that wasn't important. He had to kill this person before they killed him.

The Angel landed lightly on her feet. _Hmm, it's been a while since I've had a good struggle._ She leapt at him again, but this time, expecting his retaliation, used one of the counters to change her direction at the last moment so she hit the trooper at an angle, making him stumble and fall.

He made a grab for the syringe, but she stepped hard on his hand, and winced as she heard the loud crack of bone. _Yea, smart. Make enough noise to alert everyone you're here_. She felt a hand wrap around her ankle, and managed to tuck her head a moment before she crashed down on the trooper. His helmet had come off, and she found herself staring into smoldering amber eyes.

He gasped as he realized that the soft, warm body that had crashed down onto him was a girl, about fifteen or sixteen. He had been expecting almost anyone, but not _this._ A girl, only a few years older than him. She seemed dazed, too, but only for a moment. She rolled off him, and he jumped up after her, only to find that he couldn't see her anymore.

The Angel took deep breaths as she steadied herself. What was wrong with her? She hadn't ever had any problem with killing murderers before. _Their eyes,_ a voice answered in the back of her head_._ She shook her head, shutting the voice up before it could say anything else. She could see the clone looking around for her, and she could also see some of the injured men coming back to consciousness due to the noise.

_It's now or never._ And she moved out of her hiding space. Her victim had picked up the syringe again and was heading towards his victim.

"Sorry, Captain," she heard him mutter to a man who was semi-alert and trying to sit up.

The killer flipped the man's arm over, again, and positioned the syringe back over his vein.

"What are you-?" the man started to ask.

"Making sure our unit has a better leader," the killer answered in a calm voice. He lowered the syringe down to the vein.

The Angel leapt at the killer, having the advantage since his attention was off her and his helmet was off. She landed on his back, causing him to rear back in alarm. She kept her head down, and her eyes averted, making sure no one would be able to identify her if they ran into her again. The syringe was still stuck in "Captain's" arm, and in one swift movement, the Angel reached around and pulled it off his arm. She tossed it down on the ground, making sure it didn't break. When the others found the dead body of the killer, they might as well know what had been his weapon of choice.

The trooper had gotten over his initial surprise, and was trying to throw the Angel off. She clung on tightly, and gripped either side of his face. In a quick, almost invisible movement, she snapped his neck and he dropped down onto the floor, dead.

She jumped off the floor and looked down at the dead clone, and then swiftly looked around. _So much for not making a mess,_ she thought as she looked around. She heard footsteps, and saw shadows moving outside the door. Quickly, she put the syringe next to the dead man, and then slipped into the ventilation shaft, making sure no one saw her do so.

She watched as more of the clones ran in, the bright light from their headlights making everyone wince. They all stopped short when they saw their dead ex-comrade and the mess.

"What happened?" one of the troopers asked the dazed and injured witnesses.

_Witnesses!_ the Angel thought. She groaned inwardly. _Awe, crap._

"Whisper over there was trying to kill the Captain with whatever is in that syringe in his hand," said one of the clones who had been more alert than the others. "And then, as he was injecting it into the Captain, this _thing_ comes out of nowhere and, BAM, snaps his neck and he's dead."

"They could fight," someone else put in. "Whoever it was putting up a hell of a fight against Whisper."

"A girl," the Captain rasped, the poison starting to make him feel nauseas. "It was a teenage girl, and she saved my life."

"Tell me more about this girl," Cody said as he walked into the room.

* * *

The Angel gasped. She recognized that particular clone. He had been at the battle where she had treated two injured men. He had stared straight at her, too, something she wasn't used to. She decided now was good time to get out of there. She turned and crawled on her stomach through the ventilation shaft, until she came to a hallway that was empty enough.

She dropped out of the shaft and landed silently on the floor. Checking to make sure the troopers backs were turned, she ran and found the hallway that led to the hatch she had connected her ship to. Because of the power outage, the doors were jammed, but with some persuasion, consisting mostly of rerouting the wires, they opened just enough for her to squeeze through and into her ship.

She checked to make sure that her ship was still cloaked, and then she detached, letting her ship float a good way before she powered up the engines and set the coordinates for her next stop. _Let's find who's actually responsible for these men dying._

* * *

She walked around Coruscant, taking in every detail she could, from the strange themes of the restaurants, to the different types of speeders in the sky. It only took her a few moments to realize that she was being followed. At first she panicked, thinking about what would happen if her actual identity was found out, but then she remembered she was in disguise.

Instead of having her long, wavy, golden hair, she had on a wig of sleek black hair that fell down to about the middle of her back. She had in contacts that made her eyes a dusky-green color. Knowing that some people remembered sounds more than anything else, she had donned an accent that made her voice sound soft and vulnerable. She had also changed her energy, so now she gave out the energy of a person who was weak and insecure. _Looks like it worked too well,_ she thought grimly as she saw two beings that looked like thugs, and identified them as the people who were following her.

Quickly she ducked into an ally-way and pulled off her wig, folding it up and putting it in her purse. She let her hair out of the tight bun, and shook it out so it fell down to her lower back. She changed her energy slightly so it was still vulnerable, but let others know she was would also be able to put up a fight. Keeping the accent and the contacts, she slipped out of the ally and started walking again. As expected, her stalkers paused, confused, when they saw a different girl come out than had went in.

They shrugged and continued following her. _Okay, time for plan B._ Looking around, she saw a small café. Checking to make sure her stalkers were still following, she stepped into the café. She paused at the entrance, looking around to see if it had what she needed. It took her about two seconds to confirm that the tiny café did, and she continued in. She walked up to the waitress behind the counter

"Excuse me?" she asked in her fake accent. The waitress turned to look at her.

"Yes, honey?" the waitress asked.

"There are these two men following me, and I was wondering if you could let me out the back way," the Angel said.

The waitress's eyes softened. "Of course I can, honey."

She started leading the Angel behind the counter and into the kitchen, when a commotion stopped them.

The two thugs had followed the Angel into the café, but since they couldn't find her they were working on trying to take another female with them. She looked like she was part-human, part something else, giving her an exotic look. _Awe, hell. Why can't my bad luck stay stuck on me? _

"Honey?" the waitress asked when the Angel paused, half-turned towards the commotion.

"I've got to help her," she murmured to herself.

"Honey, I don't think you can. Now come, come, before they try to take you," the waitress said, tugging on the Angel's sleeve. The Angel turned to look at the waitress.

"They followed me into here," she said, "which is why I've got to help, because if it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be here."

"Honey-," the waitress began, but the Angel shook her head.

"I'm helping them," she said in a tone that warned the waitress not to argue.

The waitress nodded and let go of her sleeve. The Angel turned and walked to where the thugs had managed to get the part-human girl out of her seat and were trying to drag her to the door. The Angel walked up to one of them, and tapped him on the back. He paused and turned around to see who had tapped him. The Angel brought back her arm, and with lightning-quick reflexes, punched him.

He stumbled back, clutching his face, and his friend let go of the girl, turning on the Angel. The girl sat, terrified, not able to move anywhere on her own accord. The Angel slipped around the two thugs and went to stand over the girl, guarding her.

"Oh, look, she thinks she can stop us," one of the thugs said to his companion. His friend laughed.

"I'll tell you what: let's take both of them and sell them to those slavers that are staying in town for the week," the companion said.

The girl gasped and pushed herself back against the wall, trembling.

"I'm not going to let them touch you again," the Angel assured the girl. "I just need you to stay where you are, and sit still."

The girl nodded, too terrified to speak. The Angel nodded once in return, and then turned her attention back to the fight.

The first punches that came her way were weak and horribly aimed; easy to block. The Angel retaliated with a good kick to the gut, aimed where she supposed the kidneys would be in these strange beings that had been stalking her. She was rewarded by gasps of pain from the stalkers.

"That's what you get," she muttered.

Seeing that she wasn't easy prey, the thugs tried to get behind the Angel and to the other girl. The Angel crouched down, looking more like a lethal jungle animal than a human girl. The thugs paused, eyeing her warily. Then they seemed to get over their hesitation, and started approaching her again. One had found a gun somewhere, and had it set on stun.

"Don't move," he hissed, pointing the gun at the Angel.

Slowly, she stood from her crouch. She brought her hands up, skimming her waist as she did so to grab her pocketknife, and laced her fingers, with the knife, behind her head.

"Whatever you say," she said, dropping the accent and letting her voice take on a more deadly tone.

Behind her head, she flipped out blade of her knife.

* * *

_I know I said this chapter would be mainly on the _Resolute,_ but then I decided it would be fun to see what the Angel does when she isn't dropping out of the sky and confusing the 212__th__ and 501__st__. Just to be on the safe side, the story's being bumped down to T, mainly for language and, er, the way the Angel likes to…. take care of things. Let me know what you think._


	5. Laugh Again

**Laugh Again**

Darkness is easy and painless. You go numb, and can't feel anymore. The reality of the real world isn't there to taunt you, and you can dream all you want. Darkness is the gentle let down from the cruelty of life; and Kayla almost refused to let the light back into her mind.

* * *

She did though. She forced her eyes open and forced her brain to wake back up. Looking around, Kayla saw that she was in a hospital room and in one corner was Sasha, sitting on a make-shift bed with Gavin on her lap. The six-year-old's face was red and his eyes were puffy. He had obviously been crying for some time.

"Shh, shh," Sasha soothed him.

"Why did they have to die?" the little boy blubbered, trying hard to keep from crying.

"I don't know," Sasha said softly. "And I'm not going to lie to you, and say everything will be okay for them and they will be happy, because I truly don't know. "

Kayla had never heard her use that voice before. It was soft and gentle and quiet, but there was an undercurrent of strength and fearlessness, along with wisdom that she shouldn't have at her age.

Gavin nodded. "You promised you would always be here for me." It was a statement, but Kayla knew that the little boy was saying that because he needed reassurance that the promise was still being kept.

"I did. And I will," Sasha promised again. She looked up and saw Kayla watching.

"I need to talk to you," Kayla mouthed. Sasha nodded and gently pushed Gavin off her lap.

"Go find the room with the dogs; they'll help you feel better," she murmured to her little brother. Gavin clutched at the hem of her shirt.

"What if you die, too?" he whimpered. "I don't want to go away from you."

"I won't die," Sasha said. She smiled; "Besides, how could I keep my promise to you if I died?" Gavin tipped his head to the side as he considered this.

"You couldn't," he said finally.

Sasha nodded. "Now, go find the dogs."

Gavin held onto her shirt for a few seconds longer, and then turned and left the room. Sasha watched him leave. Finally, she turned back around to look at Kayla. She walked up to her adopted sister's bed, and ran her fingers through her hair.

"How are you?" Sasha asked her. Kayla blinked. She had expected Sasha to be angry, hateful, snarling; not gentle.

"Why aren't you mad at me?" Kayla asked quietly. Sasha sighed.

"Because, you are not the one that deserves my anger," she said simply.

"You should hate me," Kayla said. "You should be mad at me and yelling at me. I would feel much better if you were."

"Why would I hate you?" Sasha asked.

"I'm not strong like you," Kayla whispered. "I should be the one comforting you and Gavin, but instead I'm lying in a hospital bed because I was too weak to cope with losing my adopted parents. They aren't even my parents!"

Sasha sighed again and sat down heavily in the chair next to Kayla's bed.

"You have already lost one set of parents," she began. "This must be bringing back horrible memories. And besides, it is not your job to be strong. That is my job. Your job is to keep me sane and from becoming a hateful creature. You are not weak, Kay Kay. You just cope with things differently than I do."

Kayla was silent as she took that in. She looked at her sister. Sasha looked exhausted; her hair was a mess, and her eyes were half-closed. Her skin wasn't the same warm color it had been when Kayla had fainted, but a more grey color. It took Kayla a moment to realize it was dirt.

"How long have I been out?" she asked.

"About two days," Sasha answered with a shrug. Kayla immediately felt bad for pushing everything onto her sister when she was coping with losing her parents.

"Go shower, and eat, and then sleep," Kayla instructed. "I'll watch Gavin when he gets back."

Sasha nodded and blinked her thanks, and then turned and walked out of the room. Kayla forced herself to relax and breathe deeply.

"No tears," she repeated to herself. "No tears."

She had to be strong for Sasha and Gavin. She couldn't let them down, not this time. Not anymore.

* * *

"They are going through a very hard time," the nurse said, standing protectively in front of the door that led to the White's hospital room.

"I need to talk to them. _Now_," the man who claimned to be from the child wellfare services said. He drew himself up to his full height, so he towered over the tiny nurse.

Still, she stood stubbornly in front of the door. "I am not going to allow you to mess up my patients' healing process."

The man got right up in her face. "Now, listen here lady-." He was interrupted by the doctor coming down the hallway.

"Ahh, nurse, is there a problem here?" he asked pleasantly. The welfare man stood back up straight and looked at the doctor.

"No, sir; I was just leaving," he said.

The doctor nodded; "And I suggest you don't come back."

* * *

Kayla woke up when Sasha and Gavin left for breakfast. She lay for a while, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for them to come back.

_There's always another monster,_ she thought. _There's always another person out here to hurt the innocent. There's always another scar that will form. And like most scars, it doesn't go away. It might fade, but it never goes away. _

She looked up when Sasha and Gavin returned. She gave Sasha a look, saying she wanted to talk again. Sasha nodded.

"Gavin, go to the game room. Kayla and I need to talk."

Gavin stared up at his sister; his eyes big, round orbs. Then he turned and left the room.

Sasha came over and climbed up onto Kayla's bed. Kayla scooted over to make room for her sister.

They lay in silence for a long time, staring at the ceiling, just gathering strength from each other. Kayla noticed how much better Sasha already looked, now that Kayla was helping her care for Gavin. Her skin was almost back to its original color, and her hair was sleek and shiny again. Her eyes were still tired, but they didn't have the exhausted, haunted look Kayla had seen in them the day before.

"How long, do you think?" Sasha finally asked.

Kayla didn't need to ask what her sister meant. "I think they went to heaven right away. They were good people, Sash."

"Do you think they stayed up there, or are the down here, looking for us?" Sasha asked, still staring at the ceiling.

"I think they are laughing with Lavinia and Jamie and Hunter and Jake and everyone else," Kayla said. "And I think they are also in pain from seeing you and Gavin and me so…."

"Lost," Sasha supplied.

"Yes, so lost."

A knock on the door interrupted the two girls in their conversation.

"It's unlocked," Sasha called.

The door cracked open, and Isaac, Patrick, Dryden, and the rest of the group walked in. Isaac was carrying a huge get-well card.

"Just thought you might like some company," he said, placing the giant card on the little table that was next to the bed.

Sasha smiled. "Yes, Kayla here is so boring."

"Oh, you're one to talk," Kayla retorted playfully.

The group rolled their eyes at the sisters and settled themselves around the bed. They stayed for about an hour, talking and laughing. Finally, the nurse came in.

"Alright, visiting time's up," she said. There was a collective groan from the boys as they were ushered out of the room.

"We'll be back," Isaac called over his shoulder as the nurse shooed them out of the tiny room.

Sasha laughed, her blue eyes twinkling just a little bit.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" she asked playfully.

Kayla knew then that things did get better. All you needed was a giant get-well card and friends to support you.

What she didn't know was how long it would take her to start laughing again.

* * *

Sasha sat with her knees curled up to her chest, next to the stream in the tiny little forest. She had slipped out of the hospital when both Kayla and Gavin were asleep, needing some space just to cry and yell and cry and break things and cry some more.

"You know, I think we're going to have to start a burial ground for all these things you keep destroying," a voice said behind Sasha, startling her.

"Hi, Cody," she said tiredly without turning around. Cody came to sit next to her.

"Hey, Sash," he said.

Sasha shifted her position and rested the side of her head on Cody's shoulder.

"Out of all the boys that eye you, I'm surprised you chose me," Cody said, bringing one arm around her shoulders, pulling Sasha closer to him.

"Why?" Sasha asked as she nestled herself against Cody.

"Because you completely ignore me," Cody said as if it was obvious.

Sasha shrugged as best she could with Cody's arm around her. "I ignore just about every boy," she said.

"Not Isaac or Dryden or Patrick-,"

"That's because they're my best friends!"

Sasha got up and started pacing back in forth in front of Cody. Cody sighed quietly as he realized he had stepped onto dangerous territory.

"I'm sorry, Sash. I shouldn't have brought it up," he said quietly after a few minutes.

Sasha stopped pacing and stared down into the stream. She was silent, and Cody could tell she was debating whether to ask him something or not.

"Why, do you think, did they have to go?" she finally whispered. It took Cody a few moments to figure out what she was talking about.

"Because it was their time," he said.

The story had been on the news: Colonels White had been working together in Afghanistan, leading a unit in tandem. They had been crossing a minefield, when they saw a little girl. Some of the soldiers had started to go and help her, only to step straight into a cluster of landmines. Sasha's parents managed to evacuate most everyone out of the field, but sustained serious injuries in the process. They had been rushed to a hospital, but ad died shortly after arriving there.

"No it wasn't!" Sasha said harshly. "It wasn't their time to die! My mom was flipping pregnant! I was going to have a little sister, and that just- just- disappeared!"

She turned around to face Cody, and he could see the tears that streamed down her face glinting in the moonlight. She suddenly collapsed to her knees and buried her face in her hands. Cody didn't know what to do. In his short time at being at the school, he had quickly picked up that Jiana Sasha White was probably the toughest person-emotionally, physically, and mentally- there. And now here she was, crumbling and breaking right in front of him.

After some hesitation, he moved over to where Sasha was, and cradled her in his lap.

They stayed like that for a long time, before Sasha finally said very quietly, "I'm going to kill whoever did this to me and Kayla and Gavin."

* * *

Kayla lay on the hospital bed, reading a book. She looked up at a soft knock on the door.

"Unlocked," she called, looking back down at her book. The door cracked open as Ryan walked into the room.

"Hey, Curly," he said. Kayla looked back up at the use of her nickname, most commonly used among her friends.

"Oh, hey, Ryan," she said, putting the book to the side.

Ryan walked up to the side of the bed, his hands cupped behind his back.

"Close your eyes," he told her, "I have a surprise for you."

Kayla did as she was told, starting slightly when she felt Ryan's hands gently doing something with her hair.

"There," he said. "All done."

Kayla opened her eyes, and looked up at Ryan. He smiled.

"Here, take a look," he instructed, holding up a mirror so Kayla could see her reflection.

Kayla had been studying Ryan's face. His pale blue eyes danced against his pale skin; his brown hair was sticking up in all directions, but Kayla thought it fit his personality. He already had laugh-lines forming underneath his eyes and on the corners of his mouth. Now she tore her gaze away from his face to look at the mirror.

She gasped in delight when she saw that Ryan had placed a tropical-looking flower in her hair. Its petals were white with pale-orange streaks of color going through them. They curled up around the center, and the edges of the petals curled outward.

"It's so pretty," she whispered, reaching up to feel the flower.

Ryan's smile disappeared a little.

"I thought it would go nicely with the black for the funeral tomorrow," he said quietly. He gently took the flower and placed it in the cup of water that Kayla had been drinking from.

It caused ripples on the water when it touched the smooth surface. Kayla watched the ripples until they disappeared, and then turned back to look at Ryan. She had tears starting to leak out of the corners of her eyes. Ryan immediately regretted bringing up the funeral. He climbed into the bed with Kayla and pulled her into his chest. Kayla stiffened, but Ryan continued to hold her, and she relaxed after a moment, turning to face Ryan and curling up against his chest.

"I miss them," she whispered.

Ryan stroked her hair, not knowing what else to do. He had two little sisters, but comforting them when they were crying was much different than comforting the girl he'd had a crush on since the third grade when she was crying.

"It's okay," he said. Usually those words calmed his sisters down. Kayla looked up, the tears streaming down her face now.

"No it's not!" she cried. _Okay, _Ryan thought, _note to self: the words 'it's okay' has an opposite effect on heart-broken, parentless girls, than on my sisters._

"I'm supposed to be the strong one," Kayla continued. "But I've pushed it all onto Sasha. I'm a horrible person."

Ryan leaned down and brought his lips to Kayla's ear. She shivered at the sudden closeness of him.

"Get over your damn self," he murmured in her ear. Kayla froze. Those weren't the words she had been expecting.

"What?" she asked. She tried to pull her head back so she could look Ryan in the eye, but he placed one hand on the back of her head and held it in place.

"Your self-pity isn't helping anyone," he said. His lips brushed her earlobe, and Kayla shivered again. "Sasha doesn't spend all day wallowing around feeling sorry for herself. She doesn't sit around and wish to be someone she isn't."

Kayla was silent. She didn't have a response to that. Ryan shifted his position so he could tuck Kayla under his chin. Kayla turned around so she was facing him, and buried her face in his chest. She didn't cry, though. She couldn't cry anymore. Not in front of Sasha, not in front of Gavin, not in front of Ryan, not when she was by herself.

"No tears," she whispered.

Ryan wrapped his arms around her, and squeezed her gently.

"That's where Sasha is wrong," he said. "She might not cry, but you shouldn't be like that."

"What?" Kayla asked for the second time that night.

"Sasha has toughened herself up so nothing can affect her, but she has also taken away the soft and sweetness that you still have."

Kayla laughed a little at Ryan's comment.

"What joke did I miss?" he asked her.

She smiled. "When did you become so wise?"

"I don't know. Maybe you did that to me."

Kayla became quiet at that. Ryan cupped her chin in his hand, and tipped her head up so he could look her in the eyes.

"Don't harden yourself like Sasha. Don't take the sweetness away," he murmured.

Kayla's brow furrowed slightly as she thought about what he had said. When she didn't respond, Ryan let go of her chin and climbed down from the bed.

"Ryan, wait," Kayla called as he started to walk out the door.

Ryan paused, waiting for her to speak.

"Don't leave. I don't want to be alone," Kayla pleaded.

He turned around and walked back over to Kayla. Her wide, green eyes were pleading him to stay. Ryan brushed a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. She completely relaxed at his touch, but kept her gaze on Ryan.

His had lingered in her hair, and then he slowly leaned down towards Kayla. Her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes became even wider as she realized what he was about to do. Ryan looked at her, his blue eyes daring her to say something.

She didn't. She just stared into Ryan's eyes, until he gently pressed his lips against hers. She closed her eyes and tipped her head slightly upwards. Ryan smiled at her reaction, but pulled himself back.

He walked to the open door, stopped in the middle of the doorway, and turned around. "Goodnight, Kayla."

* * *

Cody looked at Sasha.

"How do you plan to do that?" he asked.

Sasha shrugged.

"I'll figure something out," she said. "I always do."

"You think too much," Cody complained.

Sasha smiled. "Nah, I just have a quick mind."

Cody rolled his eyes, and pulled her tighter against his chest. She had finally stopped crying, but her eyes had a new hardness in them. Cody sighed. She already had her mind made up, and no one would be able to change it.

"What are you going to tell Kayla and Gavin if they ask?" he asked Sasha.

"They won't ask," Sasha retorted.

"But what if they do?"

Sasha growled in annoyance and jerked herself out of Cody's arms.

"Stop asking questions," she snapped.

Cody watched with amusement as she launched another stone at another tree.

"So where do you want that burial ground?" he asked, referring to his earlier comment.

"Shut up," Sasha hissed.

Cody laughed and got up. He walked over so he stood behind Sasha and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed his lips against her neck, causing her to freeze. After a few moments, she slipped out of his grasp.

Cody looked at her in confusion and hurt. Sasha placed her hands on his shoulders and stared him in the eye.

"Cody, I don't want you as my boyfriend," she said gently.

Cody looked down, and shrugged off Sasha's hands.

"Fine," he said.

Sasha rolled her eyes.

"You didn't let me finish, you dipdong," she said with an exasperated sigh.

Cody paused at that, and looked back up at Sasha.

"I was going to say I want you as my brother."

"What?" Cody asked, confusion clouding his gaze.

"You know, like brother, like a brother, you know," Sasha said, unsure of how to explain what she meant. "Like….. like a brother from another mother."

Cody blinked and then smiled. Sasha knew he understood.

"Okay," he said.

He opened his arms. "Siblings?"

Sasha smiled and returned the hug.

"Siblings."

* * *

"Where have you been?" Kayla hissed at Sasha as she closed the door.

It was past midnight; Kayla had expected Sasha home many hours ago.

"I was in the forest, just like I told you," Sasha replied, annoyance creeping into her voice.

Kayla eyed her sister. "What aren't you telling me?"

Sasha shrugged and replied, "Whatever it is that I'm not telling you."

"Stop with the smartass comments," Kayla snapped.

Sasha stretched out on the chair next to the hospital bed and looked at Kayla with raised eyebrows. Kayla tried not to fidget under her sister's scrutiny, but didn't succeed. She knew Sasha was trying to second-guess her thoughts. That didn't bother her. What bothered her was that Sasha usually guessed right.

Just like with Gavin, Sasha also seemed to have extraordinary brain usage. Kayla sometimes felt useless and incompetent next to the White children. Gavin had photographic memory, Sasha had the capability to notice any change in detail and to read people well enough to guess their emotions and/or thoughts, and Kayla couldn't do anything like that.

"Okay, spill it," Sasha said after a few minutes. "Which boy was it and why was he here?"

Kayla looked over at Sasha in disbelief. "How'd you know what gender?"

Sasha didn't answer, just continued to look at Kayla with the same searching gaze. Kayla huffed in annoyance, and then gave in.

"Ryan," she said. "And he came to give me a flower to wear tomorrow for the funeral."

Sasha pursed her lips as she continued to study Kayla. Again, Kayla squirmed with discomfort. If Sasha ever went into NCIS or the FBI, she could just stare down the person she was interrogating until they told her what she wanted.

"Was it just a kiss, or did you guys, like, make out?" Sasha asked after another long couple of minutes.

Kayla didn't even bother asking how Sasha had been able to guess what her and Ryan had done. Forget staring down the person being interrogated until they broke, she could just guess their thoughts until she got a hit. That would definitely freak them out.

"Just a kiss," Kayla finally muttered.

Sasha smiled. "Good. "

Kayla was confused. "Good?" she repeated.

Sasha nodded. "Yes," she said, "good. I mean, you're always pushing boys away. I'm glad you finally let one be in the same room as you."

"I'm in the same room with boys all the time," Kayla defended herself.

"Not alone with them," Sasha said, laughing at Kayla's innocence.

Kayla 'hmphed' at Sasha, and rolled over so her back was to her sister.

Sasha laughed even harder at that, and Kayla tuned her out.

"'Night, Kay Kay," Sasha said, still laughing.

"Watevs," Kayla muttered.

Sasha got up and walked over to the cot, where Gavin was curled up under a fleece blanket. She stretched out next to her little brother, and closed her eyes. Still laughing softly, she fell asleep


	6. Knives, News, and Names

**Knives, News, And Names**

Ahsoka stared at the datapad, reviewing her notes on the Angel for the millionth time. Suddenly, arms wrapped around her waist, causing her to start.

"Rex," she said as his laughter filled her quarters, "that's not funny."

"Sorry, Commander," Rex said, coughing as he tried to stifle his laughter.

Ahsoka 'hmphed' as she tried to slip out of Rex's arms. Rex tightened his grip, holding Ahsoka where she was. Ahsoka sighed and tipped her head up to glower at Rex. That sent him into another fit of laughter.

"Stop laughing at me!" Ahsoka exclaimed.

Rex just laughed harder.

"You need to relax," he said.

Ahsoka's gaze softened and she gave a huff of defeat as Rex pressed his lips to her forehead, and trailed kisses down her face and to her lips.

"Rex, now isn't really the time for—eek!" Ahsoka squeaked as Rex cut her off by forcing his tongue into her mouth.

After a few moments, Ahsoka gave in, molding herself against Rex. Only when she started getting dizzy did Ahsoka pull away. She rested her head against Rex's chest, gasping for breath.

"I must be good at this to make you breathe like that," Rex said.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes at him, and gently untangled herself from his body. She turned around to climb into her bunk, but Rex grabbed her again.

"Hey," he protested.

Ahsoka sighed.

"I need to sleep, Rexie," she said.

Rex held onto her for a moment longer, and then let go.

"Fine," he said mutinously.

Ahsoka kissed him quickly in thanks, and crawled under the blanket. She was starting to fall asleep, when she felt Rex stretch out on the blanket next to her.

"Don't worry," he said when she shot him a worried look, "I'll leave before anyone comes around."

Ahsoka nodded sleepily, and then yawned. She curled herself up next to Rex, using his chest as a pillow, despite his armor. In a couple minutes, she was asleep.

* * *

"Snips, wake up!" Anakin yelled, waking Ahsoka up.

She groaned as she crawled out of her bunk, and padded sleepily down the hallway, following her Master.

"Where are we going?" she asked groggily, trying to blink the sleep out of her eyes and seem alert.

"A story just came up on HNN," Anakin called to Ahsoka as he speed-walked to the bridge, "that I thought you might like to see."

Ahsoka let out a quick raspberry, and then jogged to catch up to her Master.

"Why the rush, Skyguy?" she complained.

Anakin ignored her, leading her onto the bridge to where Cody and Rex were watching something intently.

"Watch," Anakin commanded his Padawan lightly.

Ahsoka turned her attention to the female reporter from the news station on Coruscant.

"… teenage girl, witnesses are saying, just murdered two men who have been identified as wanted rapists. She has fled the scene, accompanied by the rapists' soon-to-be-victim. Police have sent out search teams looking for her, but say the chances of finding her are very slim."

"They got that right," Ahsoka muttered.

"This girl had me believing she was weak and helpless, and then she turns around and single-handedly kills these two men! In my restaurant! When she is caught, I would like a word with her!" another woman said; Ahsoka figured she was probably the owner of the tiny café.

"Ranco, do you have something you would like to add?" the reporter asked someone.

Another reporter appeared, obviously on a different place of Coruscant.

"Yes, I would, thank you, Avani," Ranco said. "The Chancellor himself has ordered a team of _elite_ clone troopers to hunt down our mysterious savior."

"Ahh, so their "elite"," Rex muttered under his breath. Cody chuckled, but elbowed his brother, bringing his attention back to Ranco and his version of the story.

"So you think this girl is good?" Avani asked her fellow reporter.

"How many teenage girls do you know that would risk their lives to protect someone they don't know against wanted criminals?" Ranco asked. He didn't give Avani a chance to answer. "Speaking of which, Lylla, who is the person our little savior ran off with, is currently missing, so if you happen to see her, please inform the authorities."

A picture of a girl, around sixteen or seventeen, popped up. She looked human enough, but her skin had an undercurrent of orange, and her hair had streaks of bluish-purple. She obviously had a mixed heritage.

"She's pretty," Ahsoka commented.

The camera was back on Avani, who was questioning another person who had witnessed the murders. It was a Nautolan male, who looked pretty excited about witnessing the entire thing.

"She had long, wavy hair; it was a sort of golden-blondish color," he was saying. "And she had tan skin. She was very average in height, and sort of stocky built, but slim at the same time."

"Can you remember anything else that would aid the police in their search?" Avani asked.

"That's how Trapper and Jesse described the Angel," Rex said.

"And in the picture I have, she's averaged-height and slim," Cody added.

"Shhhh," Ahsoka hissed, now eagerly listening to the news reporters.

"She had two accents, so one was obviously fake," the Nautolan said. "One accent was soft and quiet; and the other one was stronger, and more… dangerous sounding. It fit her better. Oh, and she had greenish-grey eyes."

Cody, Rex, and Ahsoka all paused at that.

"The Angel had blue eyes," Ahsoka said with a sigh.

"But that Nautolan just said that the girl used two accents, so she seems to know how to disguise herself," Anakin stated. Ahsoka looked at her Master, and then back at Rex and Cody.

"Skyguy's right," she said, ignoring Anakin's grumbled comment about her using her pet name for him in front of the men. "So, this could be the same girl."

"Unless she has a twin," Cody said, mischief entering his voice. "Then there would be one for each of us," he said, elbowing Rex.

"That's inappropriate, Cody," Rex pretended to chastise, trying hard to keep a straight face, and almost succeeding.

"Shut_ up_," Ahsoka said, turning on the two laughing clones.

They immediately silenced, and continued to watch Avani.

"I swear, this girl saved my life," a heavy-set woman exclaimed. "One of those men had a _gun_, for crying out loud!"

Ahsoka could tell Cody and Rex were having a hard time not rolling their eyes and commenting on this woman's ignorance.

"Do you know where this girl could be now?" Avani asked.

"No," the woman said.

"She just…. left," the waitress added.

"Well, Avani, it seems we have a mystery on our hands," Ranco said as his image appeared next to Avani's.

"Yes," Avani agreed. "If anyone sees or hears anything about this girl, please, tell authorities right away."

"It will definitely help in our search for this little angel," Ranco stated. He shifted his position. "Coming up next is a story on how-," Ranco never got to finish what he was saying as the holo-net was shut off.

"Thought you might like to see that," Anakin said, smugness lacing his voice.

"Yes," Ahsoka said. "Now, I'll go back to sleep, and then we can think later."

* * *

_30 minutes earlier, on Coruscant…_

The girl gasped when she spotted the blade. _Please stay quiet,_ the Angel silently begged. She snapped her attention back to the two men standing in between her and the door. The one with the gun was taking careful aim at the Angel.

"How hard is it to shoot a damn gun?" the Angel snapped, startling him, and causing him to shoot the ceiling.

She snorted at his incompetence with a gun. No one from… _Stop right there,_ she commanded herself. _No more thinking of them._ The man threw the gun aside, and charged at the Angel. She leapt nimbly out of his way, and onto a table.

"Sorry," she muttered to the people at the table. She threw some credits down onto the table. "I'll pay."

They just looked at her in shock.

"Hey, dumbass," she called to the confused man. "I'm behind you."

He turned around, and the Angel leapt at him. His friend made a grab for her, but she ducked. He made another grab, and she gripped his wrist in her hand, pressing down hard on the pressure point at the base of the hand.

She heard him bellow in pain, and pressed harder, digging her nails in to add more pain. The other man grabbed a chair and swung it at her. She dodged, but it hit her hand, and forced her to release her pressure-point victim.

The chair was swung at her again, and she used the other man as a shield, causing his friend to abruptly stop swinging around the chair.

"Smart," the Angel hissed.

The man who had been using the chair as a weapon leapt at her. He grabbed her arm and twisted it up and around behind her back.

"Now, I got you," he said triumphantly.

"Not quite," the Angel said.

The man looked at her in surprise. He was staring at her so intently, he missed the blade that was brought up to his throat. The Angel twisted out of his grasp as she cut his throat. She turned away from her victim to face his friend. She had seen enough people die due to her; she didn't need to watch this one.

His friend was angry now. She could tell by the way he became rigid, and glared at her through narrowed eyes.

She didn't goad him on; she merely waited for him to make the first move. They stared each other down for a few minutes, and then he charged her. He grabbed the hand with the knife, and twisted it in a harsh, quick movement. The Angel winced as she heard the crack of bone. The knife fell from her hand and clattered to the floor.

She slipped in between his legs, and grabbed his ankles. She yanked him down onto the floor on top of her. Before he could comprehend what was happening, she jerked his head sharply to the side. Another sickening crack of bone was heard, and his body suddenly went limp on top of hers. She eased herself out from underneath the body, grabbed her knife and stood up.

The café had gone completely silent, and the silence seemed almost ominous to the Angel. She turned quickly to the girl who was crouched on the floor.

"Come on," she said curtly, "we need to leave."

The girl nodded, and stood up.

"You can come to my apartment," she said to the Angel.

The Angel nodded once, and helped the girl up off the floor.

"Thanks for saving me," the girl said as they left the café.

The Angel turned to look at the girl, her eyes piercing the girl's.

Very quietly, she said, "It's what I do."

* * *

Ahsoka rubbed her eyes wearily. She took a sip of her caf, and yawned.

"We can do this later, Commander," Cody suggested.

Ahsoka just shook her head and yawned again.

"Why are you so tired today, Commander?" Rex asked cheekily.

Ahsoka snapped her head around to glare at him. He knew why she was so tired. In fact, he _was_ the reason.

"Never mind," Rex said, coming to sit across from her, next to Cody.

They replayed the news broadcast, each taking notes as they watched.

"And here's the part about the _elite_ clone troopers," Rex said, trying hard to keep a straight face.

"Because the rest of us are just clone troopers," Cody said, not looking up from his datapad.

Ahsoka snorted at the two clones, and then tuned them out. She listened intently to the broadcast, paying close attention to what the witnesses said.

"Do you know where this girl could be now?" she heard Avani ask.

"No," she heard the woman answer.

Then she froze. There had been a pause before the woman had answered. Ahsoka rewound the broadcast, and replayed the last few seconds. Both Cody and Rex looked at her curiously.

"She's lying," Ahsoka said. "The fat lady is lying about not knowing where the girl is."

She rewound and replayed it again, showing Rex and Cody the pause before the answer.

"So Fat Lady _does_ know where the Angel is," Cody said. Ahsoka thought she faintly heard something like triumph in his voice.

Suddenly she giggled.

"Commander?" Rex asked.

Ahsoka's shoulders started shaking with laughter, and it took her a moment to answer.

"I love the names we give these people," she managed to get out through her laughter.

"Well, we don't know their real names," Rex said defensively.

Ahsoka stopped laughing, and took some deep breaths. Then she muttered something about Rex being over-sensitive. Rex's eyes flashed, but he kept his mouth shut. Cody just watched the Captain and Commander in amusement.

"Well, wherever she was, she wouldn't be there now," Ahsoka said decisively.

Cody and Rex remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I mean, the Angel's smart. She wouldn't stay in a place for longer the absolutely necessary; she might even leave sooner. That was proven when she fled from Cody while she was helping Trapper."

Ahsoka looked up from her datapad. She had many notes on this girl: her last known location, her weapon of choice, her height, her description. She had a pretty good picture of this girl. She had witnesses. She had clones who had seen this girl in action and could describe everything in detail. She just didn't have the girl.

"Cody, you said that she had had training in combat?" Ahsoka asked.

Cody nodded; "It would be hard to be able to shoot as straight, or know how to kill someone as effortlessly as she does, if they hadn't been trained."

Ahsoka looked thoughtful. She stared down at her notes.

"I'm betting whoever trained her to fight, also trained her to disappear," she said. "That's why we can't find her."

She sighed. This just kept getting better and better.

* * *

The Angel followed the girl through the crowded streets.

"How much farther?" she asked.

The girl glanced back.

"Not much," she said. "My name is Lylla, by the way."

The Angel smiled.

"Lylla," she repeated. "That's a pretty name."

Lylla smiled shyly and said, "Thanks."

They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, and then Lylla asked, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

The Angel blinked, but showed no outward sign of discomfort or surprise.

"I was trained by a man named Blake Wolffe," she said casually. Cautiously.

"Who is he?" Lylla asked.

The Angel scowled, and her eyes darkened. Lylla could suddenly feel the danger and lethalness that radiated off this girl.

"Someone I don't like to talk about," the Angel said quietly.

Lylla took the hint, and ceased her questions. The silence only lasted until the apartment, though.

"I never did get your name," Lylla said as she swiped a card through a slot, and pushed open a big, heavy, wooden door.

"That is because I didn't tell you," the Angel said. Her voice, again, was very casual and normal sounding.

"Well, can I please know it?" Lylla asked her mysterious new friend.

The Angel smirked. "You don't need to."


	7. The Funeral

**The Funeral**

Sasha woke up early. She yawned and wondered why she was so tired, until she remembered how late she had stayed up the night before. The sun was just starting to come up, and she sat and watched it, until the sky was a pale blue.

"Beautiful," she heard Kayla murmur.

Sasha whipped her head around to look at her sister, who smiled.

"You aren't the only one who wakes up early," Kayla said, smiling at her.

"I feel dead," Sasha groaned, falling back onto her pillow.

"So then why did you stay out so late?"

Sasha turned to glare at her sister, and suddenly, Kayla laughed. Sasha's eyes widened at the sound, and then her eyebrows came together in surprise.

"You laughed," she said.

Kayla smirked.

"You noticed," she retorted.

Sasha smiled, and then sighed.

"The funeral's today," she said quietly.

Kayla nodded, and then shrugged, silently saying '_I know.'_

"We better start getting ready," Sasha said quietly.

She gently shook Gavin awake, and then bent down and kissed his forehead.

"We need to get ready for the funeral," she murmured to him.

He stared at her with wide eyes, and then hugged his older sister. Sasha wrapped her arms around him and held him against her.

"Hey," she said, lifting his chin, "we'll be okay. It's going to be fine. I'll get a… job, and Kayla will go to school, and we'll teach you and live off the money I make."

Gavin just nodded.

"Hey, where are we gonna live?" Kayla asked as she slid off the hospital bed.

Sasha stretched, and then yawned, and then closed the curtain to the window, and then folded the blanket, and then made the bed, and then she finally answered.

"There's this old cabin up in the mountains that's been in the family for years. No one knows where it's at except, well, me."

Kayla glared at her sister.

"You did that just to annoy me," she hissed.

Sasha widened her eyes, schooling her features into nothing but innocence.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Kayla continued to glare, and then Sasha stuck her tongue out. Kayla growled playfully and threw her pillow at Sasha's head. Sasha ducked, laughed, and flung the pillow back in Kayla's general direction. Kayla leaned sideways, and the pillow missed her, but hit the glass of water, which fell to the floor with a loud crash.

"Are you guys okay in there?" a nurse called, hearing the crash.

"Yes," Sasha called at the same time Kayla answered, "We're fine."

Sasha sighed and shared a look with Kayla.

"No, we aren't fine," she hissed under her breath.

Kayla's jaw clenched and her eyes flashed.

"It's a lie," she said quietly. "It's all a lie isn't it?"

Sasha tensed and her eyes darted to Gavin, who was sitting and curiously watching his older sisters.

"Later," she mouthed to Kayla.

Kayla nodded tersely and then smiled at Gavin. Gavin returned the smile, but Sasha could see that Kayla's smile had been fake… and Gavin's smile had been fake right back.

_I live in a family that has been raised by love and lies,_ she realized.

* * *

"It's later," Kayla said.

Sasha sighed and rolled her head around to look at Kayla. The two girls were alone on the roof of their old house, waiting for everyone else to finish getting ready for the funeral.

"Yes, it is," Sasha said neutrally.

"Well, answer my question!" Kayla said, exasperated with her sister's secrecy.

Sasha turned to look innocently at Kayla. Kayla noted how Sasha was becoming an expert at that look since she was starting to use it so often.

"What question?" Sasha asked.

Kayla rolled her eyes and raised her hand to smack her sister on the back of the head. Sasha flinched and held up her hands to block Kayla.

"Please don't mess up my hair," Sasha squeaked.

Kayla smirked; "Than answer my question."

Sasha sighed and tilted her head upwards towards the sun that was making its way across the sky.

"Yes," she said finally. "It's all a lie. Every laugh, every smile, every word of happiness and comfort I have said since they died is all a lie."

Kayla nodded, knowing that the 'they' had started as Lavinia and her mother, and lay back on the roof. Her beautiful golden curls had been enhanced just a little bit, so they shone and bounced in the slightest breeze. The flower Ryan had given her stood out nicely against the gold, and the petals fluttered with her hair.

"Why?" she asked Sasha. "Why, Sash? Why lie?"

Sasha blinked and stared down onto the ground. She was in a fluttery black dress that was decorated with a design of a dark blue phoenix that was almost transparent and almost blended completely in with the black. Kayla could only see it if the sunlight hit the dress just right.

"To protect everyone from the pain and the hurt," Sasha answered finally.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" Kayla cried out, furious at her sister for bringing every part of pain and hurt that she could onto herself.

"Because I don't want to see anyone I love get hurt!" Sasha snapped back, equally furious at Kayla for asking so many questions. "I take the punishment so that you and Gavin and Cody and Ryan and everyone else can live and smile and laugh, and their laughter will be honest, not fake and forced."

Kayla backed off a little after that, giving Sasha a chance to calm down. She knew when she had reached the boundaries of someone's patience and sanity, and knew when not to push a topic.

"That's your gift, you know," Sasha said quietly, startling Kayla.

"What?" Kayla asked, staring at Sasha.

The muscles around Sasha's eyes tightened, and she hesitated before answering. Kayla suddenly knew that Sasha's mind/body-language reading gift had somehow been enhanced and "upgraded" in a way.

"You knowing when to stop asking questions, and what questions to ask, and when to keep going," Sasha said. "That's your gift."

Kayla opened her mouth to say something, but Sasha cut her off.

"You're always saying how you don't belong in the family because you don't have some freaky mind skill talent gift thing. Your gift is the question thing I just said. It just about rivals my detail thing and Gavin's photographic memory."

Kayla didn't know how to respond to that. She had never thought of her talent as an actual talent. She had always just considered it to be part of her, and she had always considered herself to be normal. She decided to change the subject, because the silence was starting to seem permanent, and she couldn't stand it.

"Why did you choose that dress?" she asked Sasha.

Sasha looked down at her dress, and traced the phoenix.

"Because of the phoenix. It reminds me of Mama and Daddy," she answered without looking up.

Kayla raised her eyebrows; "How so?"

"Because they're going to be invisible to us almost all the time now, but they are always going to be there," Sasha said. "We'll only be able to see them when the "light" is just right."

Kayla didn't know how to answer that, either, so she stayed quiet. It was the first thing Sasha had been able to say about her dead parents without getting worked up, even a little bit. Kayla wasn't going to push it. She definitely didn't want to make Sasha angry, especially since she was extra edgy because her emotions were running high due to the deaths of her parents.

"What are you going to do for work?" Kayla asked, referring to Sasha's earlier comment to Gavin.

Sasha paused at that, but then recomposed herself so quickly Kayla thought she might have imagined the little pause.

"I'll… figure something out," Sasha said carefully.

Kayla knew that tone. It was the tone Sasha used when she was being cautious. Or when she didn't want Kayla to know she was hiding something. Kayla narrowed her eyes at Sasha, and wished she had Sasha's ability to "read minds."

"It's not always good to ask questions, Kay Kay," Sasha said in a warning tone; she seemed to be struggling on the correct way to explain it to Kayla without giving anything away. "Ignorance is bliss; there are some things… some things that you just… don't want to… _know_."

* * *

Sasha stood up and walked up to the podium. She had insisted she go last, giving everyone a chance to go before her. Her parents had been given a six gun salute, and Sasha's ears were still ringing. Everyone had been giving her and her siblings sympathetic and pitying glances, and it was starting to make her sick. Their pity was not going to help her.

"I would like to sing a few songs in honor of my parents," she said as she reached the podium. She glanced at Kayla, who gave her an encouraging nod, and at Gavin, who stared at her with innocence and hope shining in his eyes. Sasha took a deep breath and continued. "For my father, I am going to sing Amazing Grace, which is the lullaby he would always sing to me, and for my mom, I'm going to sing a song called Long Time Sun Shine.

"_Amazing grace; how sweet the sound _

_That saved a wretch like me._

_I once was lost, but now I'm found;_

_Was blind, but now I see._

'_Twas grace that taught my heart to fear_

_And grace my fears relieved._

_How precious did that grace appear_

_The hour I first believed._

_When we've been here ten thousand years,_

_Bright shining as the sun._

_We've no less days to sing God's praise_

_Than when we first begun._

_Through many dangers, toils, and snares_

_We have already come._

'_Twas grace that brought us safe thus far;_

_And grace will lead us home._

_Amazing grace how sweet the sound_

_That saved a wretch like me._

_I once was lost, but now I'm found;_

_Was blind but now I see."_

Sasha paused and looked around. She had never sung in front of a big group before; only in front of her family. Everyone seemed to be in shock, so she turned her gaze to Kayla, who she knew would not have been as affected by the song. Kayla smiled and winked, and Sasha let out a sigh of relief. She took a deep breath and started her next song.

"_May the long time sun shine upon you;_

_All love surround you._

_And the pure light within you, _

_Guide your way on._

_May the long time sun shine upon you;_

_All love surround you._

_And the pure light within you, _

_Guide your way on._

_May the long time sun shine upon you;_

_All love surround you._

_And the pure light within you, _

_Guide your way on,_

_Guide your way on,_

_Guide your way on._

_Satnam." _

She paused again and looked around. By now, everyone was smiling a little, and Sasha felt a tiny prick of happiness that she had been able to ease some of pain, at least for a little bit.

"And the last song, I'm not going to sing. Instead, I'm going to play it from my iPod. It was one of my dad's favorites," Sasha said as she hooked up her iPod to some portable speakers she had brought in her purse.

She scrolled through the songs, while everyone sat patiently. The atmosphere was noticeably different. _My singing did some good,_ Sasha realized as she searched for the song. She found it and hit play, and stood watching the reaction of the people at the funeral as it started to play.

"_American girls, and American guys,_

_We'll always stand up and salute, _

_We'll always recognize:_

_When we see Old Glory flying,_

_There's a lot of men dead_

_So we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our heads."_

Kayla smiled widely as she heard the song, and Gavin immediately perked up. Ryan and Cody bit their tongues to keep from laughing as the song started to play, and Sasha licked her lips to hide her satisfied smile. So far, her song was having the effect she wanted.

"_My daddy served in the Army,_

_We lost his right eye;_

_But he flew a flag out in our yard 'till the day that he died._

_He wanted my mother,_

_My brother,_

_My sister, and me_

_To grow up and live happy in the land of the free._

_Now, this nation that I love has fallen under attack;_

_Hey, mighty sucker punch came flying in_

_From somewhere in the back._

_Soon as we could see it clearly through our big black eye,_

_Man, we lit up your world like the Fourth of July."_

Patrick and Isaac and the rest of the group shared knowing glances with each other as they recognized the song. They all looked up at Sasha, who winked at them and smiled a very satisfied smile.

"_Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list,_

_And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist._

_And the eagle will fly, and it's gonna be hell_

_When you hear Mother Freedom start ringin' her bell._

_And it'll feel like whole wide world is rainin' down on you;_

_All brought to you courtesy of the red, white, and blue."_

Gavin smiled, and Sasha suddenly felt tears well up in her eyes. The smile had been honest and true; pure happiness. She let out a silent laugh of relief and felt some sort of weight leave her shoulders. Gavin had smiled; things were starting to get better.

"_Oh, justice will be served and the battle will rage._

_This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage._

_And you'll be sorry that you messed with_

_The U.S. of A.,_

'_Cause we'll put a boot in your ass;_

_It's the American way."_

Many peoples' eyes widened in surprised at that line, and then they smiled. Yes, Sasha's plan was working and the sadness was leaving.

"_Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list,_

_And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist._

_And the eagle will fly, and it's gonna be hell_

_When you hear Mother Freedom start ringin' her bell._

_And it'll feel like whole wide world is rainin' down on you;_

_All brought to you courtesy of the red, white, and blue._

_Ohhh, ohhh._

_Of the red, white, and blue._

_Ohhh, ohhh, oh._

_Of my red, white, and blue."_

The song finished, and a moment of silence followed. Sasha stood in front of everyone, watching their reactions, smiling a sheepish smile.

"I decided that, instead of talking about things that would make people cry, I would sing and play songs that would make people smile," Sasha said. She took a little bow, and went back to her seat.

Kayla glanced at her as she sat down, rolled her eyes, and smiled a little, silently telling Sasha '_you're crazy.'_ Sasha just smiled innocently and leaned back in her chair. And then she smiled.

* * *

Sasha walked down the hallway of her school, towards her multi-lingual class. This week was Arabic, last week had been French, and the week before that had been Spanish, and the week before _that_ had been Italian. German and Mandarin Chinese were also fit somewhere into the school year, and by the end of the year, everyone could speak all six languages fluently and with the perfect accents.

"Hey, Sash," Cody called.

Sasha paused and waited for Cody to catch up to her. He had been meeting her in the woods every night for the past week, and Sasha had started to let down her guard around him. Slowly, Cody was working his way through Sasha's defenses and walls, and, slowly, Sasha was starting to trust Cody.

"How's it going at work?" he asked.

Sasha had gotten a "temporary" job working at a Sonic, until she figured out a way to kill the terrorist(s) that had set the bombs and killed off the rest of her family.

"Good, I guess," Sasha said carefully. "The customers can be really annoying sometimes."

Cody just chuckled and gave Sasha a one-armed hug.

"Hey, Sasha," Carley said, jumping in front of Sasha and Cody. She glanced at Cody's arm which was still around Sasha's shoulders, but then moved her gaze back to Sasha's face.

"Yes, Carley?" Sasha asked. She wasn't really in the mood to put up with Carley at the moment.

"I just wanted to say sorry… about your parents," Carley told her.

Sasha blinked. That was the first time she could remember Carley talking to her without being rude or mean in forever.

"Oh, um, thanks, Carley," Sasha said. Her surprise was evident in her voice and Carley smiled.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you," she apologized.

Sasha smiled. "Don't worry."

Carley glanced one more time at Cody's arm around Sasha's shoulders, and then started walking the opposite way of Cody and Sasha. Sasha smiled, looking thoughtful, and then she elbowed Cody in the ribs.

"Go after her," she told him.

He looked at her like she was crazy, and she smiled at him.

"She obviously likes you," Sasha said, as if Cody should have known that. "And she's really not that bad when she's not being a jealous bitch. Go after her and ask her out or something."

Cody continued to stare at Sasha, and then he turned and walked after Carley.

"Hey, Carley, wait a sec," Sasha heard him call to her.

Sasha smiled, and then glanced out the window. The sun was shining, and there were a few puffy clouds floating in the sky. It was a good day, she decided. She also decided that this was the day she would go and find a way to get her revenge on the terrorist(s).

* * *

"السيدة ساشا، هل يرجى الانتباه؟"

_(Ms. Sasha, would you _please_ pay attention?)_

Sasha glanced up, and then quickly closed her notebook, hiding the picture of her Swiss Army knife that she had been drawing. She paused for half a second as she processed the words, and then she schooled her face into the appropriate look of remorse and sheepishness.

"أنا آسف، السيدة ديفيد. أنا قليلا يصرف اليوم. هذا لن يحدث مرة أخرى."

_(I'm sorry, Mrs. David. I am a little distracted today. It won't happen again.)_

Mrs. David glared at Sasha for a moment longer before she went back to teaching.

"الآن، في هذا البلد من إسرائيل، كان هناك الكثير من التفجيرات الانتحارية. تم الإبلاغ عن الأطفال الانتحاريين ..."

_(Now, in the country of Israel, there has been a lot of suicide bombings. Children have been reported as suicide bombers...)_

Sasha tuned out the teacher at that point. She knew all about bombings; she didn't need to learn more. She didn't care how they were made or who made them and how certain things could be a manufacturer's signature. Why would she care? _Because you want to know as much as possible about those terrorists before you go and kill them,_ her mind answered.

Sasha winced at her mind's choice of words. But, she knew that that was the bluntest, simplest way of putting what she was going to do to get her revenge. She flinched inwardly when she thought of how Kayla and Gavin would react if they ever found out.

Gavin, she might be able to tell, but definitely not Kayla. Kayla would freak out and call every possible LEO she could. Then she would tie Sasha up and sedate her until the LEOs could come. _Then_ she would request Sasha be put in a mental hospital with no outside influences or anything. Ya, Kayla definitely _could not_ _know_. And that would prove a challenge.

* * *

Sasha silently entered the cabin, and silently slid the lock back into place. She silently crept through the halls and into her room. She silently grabbed a change of clothes and walked to the bathroom. She silently closed the door, and locked it. And she relished all the silence.

It was past midnight, but Sasha still decided she should take a shower. She turned on the hot water and then sat down on the floor of the shower. The water pooled around her, washing off all the dirt and grime she had managed to acquire throughout the day.

It soaked her hair, beating on her head. Sasha closed her eyes and let the water beat her. Maybe it would take away from some of her guilt. Maybe it would take away from the fire the raged in her heart. Maybe it would take away from the pain on her right shoulder blade. Or maybe it would just take. And maybe she hoped it would never give back.

* * *

"Why have you been so tired recently?" Kayla asked as Sasha stumbled into the kitchen the next morning.

"I haven't been sleeping well," she replied as she grabbed a bowl of cereal and some milk.

Kayla snorted and rolled her eyes. She came to sit next to Sasha, and leaned her head on her sister's right shoulder. Sasha's jaw locked as she held back a hiss of pain, but Kayla didn't see it. Sasha made sure she kept her muscles relaxed, because she knew that if she showed any sign of being in discomfort or pain, Kayla would be more suspicious than she already was.

"Today is a holiday from school, so I'm just going to go off," Sasha called, jumping up, dumping her dishes in the sink, and running out the door. "I'll try to be home before midnight, and I won't get pregnant."

Kayla laughed at Sasha as she watched her sister run out the door and into the woods. She knew Sasha probably wouldn't be home before midnight, but it was the thought that counted.

She sat in the living room, painting a picture of an ocean at night, until she heard Gavin shuffling down the hallway.

"Hey, Gavy," Kayla called from the living room, "breakfast is on the table."

"Okay," Gavin answered sleepily as he shuffled his way into the kitchen.

Kayla paused to listen until she heard the distinctive crinkling and clattering of Gavin getting his breakfast.

"I'm taking you to school today," she told him as she sat down at the kitchen table with him. He looked at her in confusion.

"Don't you have school?"

"No, today is a teacher work day, so we have off. Sasha ran out of the house a little while ago."

Gavin sighed and looked down into his cereal. Sasha had tried to tell him something the night before, but Gavin had ignored her and gone to sleep. Now he wished he had listened. He figured wherever Sasha was going had something to do with what she had tried to tell him last night.

"It's okay," Kayla assured her adopted brother, misinterpreting his sigh. "Sasha said she'd try to be home before midnight, and Sasha always keeps her word."

Gavin looked at Kayla. He loved her like he loved Sasha, but she was different. She was kinder and gentler, and more innocent and purer. Sasha was as hard and solid as stone, and she always stood tall with her head high.

Gavin needed Sasha's strength and solidity, and the assurance that, even though she might not necessarily be there with him, she would always be there _for_ him. She had promised.

Gavin had decided long ago that Sasha was like fire. She was always raging, always burning, but she could be contained. She was brave and very blunt, and could seem harsh and scary. But, underneath all that, Sasha was good. She brought love and warmth and security.

After Gavin met Kayla, he had decided that she was water. Cool, calm, and collected. She was always there for him; the times when Sasha seemed to disappear (even though she always came back). She calmed Sasha and kept her sane, and was sweet and gentle and nourishing. She balanced Sasha out. But, Gavin had also learned that Kayla had a harder side to her, and could be mean and strong and scary if needed.

He wondered what would happen if one girl died, what would the other do? If they weren't there to balance each other out, what would happen?

Gavin decided that there were many possible answers to his questions, and that he would just be there to help his sisters. He needed and wanted them both, and even if they refused to admit it, they both needed and wanted him.


	8. Lost Then Found

_Okay, so these events happen within a few hours of each other, not in tandem. Keep that in mind or it might be a little confusing. Oh, I guess I'm supposed to do disclaimers and I haven't been. Sorry, to anyone that bothered, but anyways: the Angel, Lylla, and the Earth characters belong to me, everything else belongs to Gorge Lucas._

**Lost Then Found**

The Angel hissed in pain as Lylla set her broken hand as gently as possible.

"Sorry!" Lylla cried for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Never apologize," the Angel said through gritted teeth. "It is a sign of weakness."

Lylla opened her mouth, to say sorry again the Angel guessed, but then snapped her mouth closed and just nodded.

"There. Done," she said triumphantly after a couple more minutes.

The Angel wiggled her fingers, and then tried to rotate her wrist. She ground her teeth together as pain started burning in her wrist and hand.

"Idiot," Lylla snorted. "I just know the basics in setting broken bones. You really should see a doctor or something. I could take you in my speeder."

The Angel immediately stiffened up.

"No. No medic, no doctor, no speeder," she said harshly. Lylla winced and she immediately felt guilty. She hadn't meant to sound _that_ harsh.

"No one can know my identity," she added in a softer tone.

Lylla looked confused. "Why's that?"

The Angel laughed and said, "I just killed two men. Besides, the life I live, it's in the shadows." As she said that, her face turned somber and her eyes became sad and haunted.

Lylla reached over and placed a comforting hand on the Angel's shoulder.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" she asked her softly.

The Angel glanced at the older girl, staring into her eyes. She could see the girl's heart and soul in her deep brown eyes. Lylla was staring straight back; she searched the Angel's eyes. She trusted her, and wanted her to do the same. The Angel blinked slowly, and she suddenly felt a warm feeling she hadn't felt in what seemed to be forever.

"You trust me," the Angel stated softly.

"Of course I do," Lylla said. "Why wouldn't I?"

Shadows formed in the Angel's face, darkening her eyes and sharpening her features.

"Because in my life of shadows, sometimes the darkness is so thick that even the brightest of lights is not able to penetrate it."

Lylla hugged her new friend close, offering her presence as comfort.

"I don't understand," she said, confusion clouding her gaze.

The Angel bit her lip as she thought about the best way to explain what she meant to Lylla, without giving much away.

"I kill people, Lylla," the Angel said. Bluntly. Calmly. Her unwavering gaze remained on Lylla while she said her next sentence. "It's what I've been trained to do."

* * *

Ahsoka stood in the hanger behind her Master, listening as he briefed/rallied the men before their next battle. She sighed as he seemed to go on and on and on and on and on and-

"Snips!" Anakin snapped, annoyed that she had zoned out on him.

Her head snapped up, her blue eyes wide with surprise and guilt as she realized she was supposed to have been paying attention.

"Ugh, never mind," Anakin sighed. "Just get ready to go."

"I've been ready for like ever," Ahsoka grumbled as she made her way over to the landing craft with Rex.

She heard Rex cough, and knowing he was stifling laughter, elbowed him. She knew he wouldn't feel it because of his armor, but it was the thought that counted. Ahsoka speed ahead of Rex as he turned to look at her, so she didn't see his hand reach out. He tugged gently on her Padawan braid, causing her to squeak in surprise.

"Oh, it's on," Ahsoka hissed playfully.

She started to charge at Rex, only to stop when her Master yelled, "Snips!"

She froze mid-step, and then reluctantly ceased her charging. She could just imagine the smirk Rex had plastered on his face underneath his helmet.

"Later; when we get back," Ahsoka muttered to him as she boarded the LAAT.

Rex chuckled, which Ahsoka took as him agreeing with her. She reached up to hold onto the handle to support herself, only to have it snap as the LAAT started bucking as it started coming under heavy fire.

She was thrown across the gunship, almost knocking over troopers as she went. She was thrown back the other way, and curled into a ball to protect her head and neck as she headed straight for a wall. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her ribcage, pulling her straight up.

"Now isn't the time to be trying to fly like a bird, Commander," Rex said as he supported Ahsoka.

"You're right," Ahsoka agreed. "You know, how 'bout next time we're in one of these, I'll try to be a Rishi eel."

* * *

Lylla sat in the living room of her small apartment as the Angel changed in the bathroom.

"I still don't see why you needed a mirror to change your clothes," she called to the Angel.

"It's not only my clothes that I'm changing," the Angel called back.

She appeared moments later, and Lylla stared at her in shock.

"You look so _different_," she gasped.

The Angel smiled. "I'm supposed to. It's called a disguise."

Lylla rolled her eyes and said exasperatedly, "I know what it is."

"Well?" the Angel asked, "would you be tell who I am from just looking at me?"

Lylla stared at her, studying her change in appearance. The Angel had replaced the black wig, but removed the contacts. Long sleeves and pants, with black combat boots hid most of her tan skin, but she had put make-up on her face and neck, making her skin very pale. Because of the missing contacts, her deep blue eyes shone, and contrasted, against her "pale" skin.

"I don't even recognize you," Lylla said finally.

"Good," the Angel said, turning around to do something on a strange machine that she had carried with her in her purse.

"So, do we leave now?" Lylla asked. She was excited to get going, despite not really knowing where their destination was.

The Angel had told her she had to leave her apartment for a couple of days or weeks; long enough for everyone to cool down from the incident in the café. The Angel had also told her that she would take care of everything, including Lylla's passage, luggage, and fake identity.

"Because you have been listed as a missing person, you're going to need a fake I.D. and official documents and papers and what-not," the Angel had said. "You're also not going to be able to use your speeder, or any weapon you have, if you have one, since they're all registered under your name. To be on the safe side, we'll get you new luggage and clothing and stuff for you to take with you."

A grinding sound startled Lylla out of the little memory, and she turned to see the Angel printing something from another strange looking machine. She looked over the Angel's shoulder, and saw that it was a fake I.D., along with a fake birth certificate and driver's license. Next came the fake hospital and tax records.

"There," the Angel said as she finished hitting a few last buttons on her machine. "Now, you're good to go."

"What did you do?" Lylla asked curiously.

"I've provided you with a legend deep enough to withstand the scrutiny that the police and riot troopers can give. It's a rush job, but it will even hold against the investigators to some extent, if they decide to take the investigation that far," the Angel answered. She said everything so calmly and normally, Lylla wondered how many times she had done this sort of thing.

"If anyone asks if you're the missing girl from the news, you tell them, without hesitation, that you are her twin sister, and you're looking to get out of the house for a little bit until your parents settle down," the Angel instructed as she started printing out another batch of fake records and identification purposes. "You might want to sound a little bratty and bored," the Angel added after a quick pause.

"Got it," Lylla said as she studied her new I.D.

It said her name was Anwar Bo.

"Anwar Bo," Lylla repeated her new name. "What does it mean?"

"Anwar means blossoms of light, and bo means good," the Angel said as she continued hitting buttons on her machine.

"My cover is only deep enough to get me off planet and allow me to buy stuff, so if anyone starts questioning me, you get out of there, got it?" she asked Lylla.

Lylla agreed, nodding her head with some reluctance.

"Okay, so I have you with booked reservations at some big fancy Senators' hotel somewhere on the other side of this planet, with dinner reservations every night, and reservations for every show that's going on in that area, and every place you might want to visit," the Angel said, handing Lylla a packet of different tickets.

"I put little cards of information with each ticket, and I arranged them in order from the first one, starting tonight, to the last one, starting two months from now in the middle of the day," the Angel added.

"How in the nine hells of Corellia did you get the money for that?" Lylla squeaked.

"Oh, I didn't. I just hacked into the databank of everything and added your name to the list," the Angel said, shrugging her shoulders. Lylla just stared at her with a mixture of shock and awe.

The Angel stared levelly back, and Lylla suddenly knew that this girl was someone who never backed down, and never got intimidated. And if she hadn't just saved her life, Lylla would have been the intimidated one as she stared into the Angel's deep blue eyes.

"Are you sacred of me?" the Angel asked quietly.

"No," Lylla said, confused at the sudden question.

The Angel nodded as if Lylla had just confirmed something, and then turned back to her machine.

"You should be, Lylla. Like I said before, I'm not good, and everywhere I go, people always get hurt."

Lylla walked around so she was in front of the Angel. "Well, I'm in this with you, and you're not getting rid of me," she said stubbornly.

The Angel smiled. "I never said I was going to get rid of you," she said.

Lylla paused, confused again.

The Angel laughed softly, and added, "I only warned you to be afraid."

* * *

Ahsoka tensed herself as the LAAT rushed towards the ground.

"Why do we always get shot down?" she asked Rex through clenched teeth.

"I guess the Seppies just like you," Rex said, pulling Ahsoka tighter against him as they crashed into the ground.

"That- makes- me- feel- great," Ahsoka managed to gasp out as the LAAT bounced along the ground, before skidding to a stop.

There was a pause and a moment of silence as everyone got their bearings and realization sank in, and then the doors slid open, and bright sunlight momentarily blinded everyone. It took another few moments for everyone to realize that nothing was shooting at them.

Ahsoka climbed out first, squinting against the sun. She stretched as she looked around, hearing her bones pop and taking in the scenery at the same time.

"I think the droids are all up in space," she said, shocked and confused. "There's nothing down here. Well, except for the plants, and the animals, and, well, us."

Rex climbed out after her, followed by the rest of the men.

"They shot us down… just to get us here quicker?" Ahsoka asked, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Or to trap us, or confuse us," Rex suggested.

"Or to kill us," Fives, who had also been in the LAAT, said, pointing up at the sky.

Ahsoka looked up and saw droid drop ships coming out of the sky, heading for their crash zone.

"Head for the trees," she ordered calmly, not letting her nerves get the better of her. "Go. Run."

Everyone took off at a sprint, heading for the trees. Rex led, and Ahsoka stayed at the back, ready to defend her men if any of the droids managed to land before they got to the trees.

"So, what's the plan, Commander?" Echo asked as they leaned against trees, catching their breath.

Ahsoka looked around, and up, and side-to-side, and around again.

"Well, we definitely know droids are going to be coming from that direction," she said pointing towards where their crashed LAAT was. "And I'm betting droids are going to be landing where everyone else crashed, which means…"

She paused as she mentally mapped out where everyone else had crashed. She let out a groan as she realized how much trouble they all were in.

"Which means what, Commander?" Rex asked, a little impatient.

Ahsoka refocused her gaze and sighed as she said, "Which mean that they've got us boxed in."

* * *

"Try this on," the Angel said, showing Lylla a teal-colored, simmer silk halter top. "It will go nicely against your skin."

Lylla took the shirt and gently rubbed the material between her fingers. The Angel was taking her to all the high-end, super expensive stores to buy clothing "that will match your legend," the Angel had said. Lylla had no clue how the Angel was going to pay for all this, but she figured that she had a plan, and so she went with it.

"Okay, but what would I wear it with?" Lylla asked as she turned the shirt over in her hands.

"These," the Angel said. She held out a skirt that was teal-and-white plaid. It had about five layers of material, and so it fluffed out a little bit. The top layer was transparent-ish material, while the other layers where a silky-satiny looking material.

"You. Are. Crazy," Lylla exclaimed as she grabbed the skirt. It would make for a really cute outfit, she could tell already. For someone who seemed to have a wardrobe made out of nothing but dark, baggy pants, and form-fitting, black t-shirts, the Angel had a really good eye for clothing.

"Come on. Try it on. If you don't like it, you don't get it," the Angel said, ushering Lylla into the dressing room. "You can be as picky and bitchy as you like," she added through the door.

Lylla laughed; "Thanks. Hey, so why do I need so many outfits? Can't I just wash them and wear it again?"

"No," the Angel said. "Rich people _never_ wear the same outfit twice. Of course, once you come out of "hiding", you can re-wear these outfits all you want."

"Re-wear," Lylla repeated. "Is that even a word?"

"Sure it is," the Angel said. "I just used it."

"Did I mention you were crazy?" Lylla asked as she slipped into the outfit.

The Angel leapt nimbly up onto the check-out counter and swung her legs back and forth.

"Many times, in fact," she responded.

Lylla stepped out of the dressing room, and the Angel smiled.

"_Now_, you look like some rich kid."

Lylla smiled and twirled, looking at herself in the mirror. The skirt flounced out a little bit as she spun, and the flowy material of the top billowed out.

"Okay, this one's a keeper," she said.

The Angel smiled a triumphant smile and looked around the store. Lylla already had a stack of clothes she wanted to buy, and this was only the first store.

"Anything else?" she asked as she looked around. "You already have a bunch of dresses, and some shorts, and pants, and shirts, and other things that I don't know what they're called, and now you have a skirt. I think you're good with this store."

Lylla nodded in agreement and picked up the clothes. She walked over to the counter where the Angel was sitting and set them down in front of the clerk.

"Is that all, miss?" the clerk asked, his eyes looking up and down Lylla's body.

"Yes, sir," Lylla answered, unaware of the hunger that the man was looking at her with.

"You are a very pretty lady," the clerk said as he scanned the prices and placed them in a bag. "You should not be out by yourself."

At that, Lylla started becoming suspicious.

"She's not alone," the Angel said, hopping of the counter to stand beside Lylla.

The clerk took one look at her and bent his head to focus completely on bagging the clothing.

"Smart man," the Angel complimented him, but it wasn't a nice compliment. There was something dark and dangerous about the way she said it. Lylla held back a shiver, and was glad that she had decided to befriend this girl, instead of make an enemy out of her.

They left the store, and walked out to the "new" speeder the Angel had managed to "acquire." Lylla had to admit, going "undercover" with the Angel was much more fun than she would have expected. Especially the perks, like being endlessly rich for three months.

"So, after we finish shopping, we're going to get our nails done, and then our hair," the Angel said.

"You're wearing a wig," Lylla reminded her.

The Angel shrugged. "It's glued to my head, and it's made out of actual hair; they won't be able to tell a difference."

"You glued it to your head?" Lylla squeaked.

"It's skin-friendly glue, and it's completely water-proof and scrub-proof. It will only give out under heat, because it melts away. It's completely harmless," the Angel assured her shocked friend.

Lylla opened her mouth, but the Angel held up a hand to stop her.

"I know, I know," she said, "I'm crazy."

The two girls had similar conversations at every store they went to, until Lylla was loaded down with bags filled with over-priced clothing.

"Nails and hair time," the Angel said in a sing-song voice as Lylla focused on not crashing the "borrowed" speeder into other speeders.

"This is crazy," Lylla muttered as she just barely spun the speeder out of the way of a drunk driver.

"It's rush hour," the Angel said in a nonchalant way. "What do you expect?"

Lylla just shot her a dirty look and found a place to park "her" speeder. Both girls hopped out of the speeder and walked towards the hair/nails salon.

"Don't you love being crazy rich?" the Angel sighed happily as they walked up the steps to the entrance of the salon.

Lylla rolled her eyes as she pushed open the door and stepped into the salon. She froze in the entrance and looked around. It was like she had stepped onto a completely different planet. The theme of the salon was a rainforest, so plants decorated every available space. Trees and vines decorated the walls and ceiling, and brightly colored flowers were all around the salon. A waterfall was on one wall, and the floor was glass that covered the pond the waterfall fell into. Colorful fish swam around in the pond, and the water was so clear that Lylla could see the stones on the bottom of it.

"Welcome to the Rainforest Salon," a droid said, ushering them inside.

Lylla looked at the Angel out of the corner of her eye, and the Angel smirked.

"Oh, yeah, did I tell you that this is one of the most famous salons on all of Coruscant?"

Lylla felt like she was either going to pass out or scream with joy. Her family and friends had never and would never have the money for this, and here she was standing in a famous salon, with a speeder full of expensive clothing, and reservations at some giant fancy hotel, just because she had befriended a wanted fugitive.

"This is amazing," Lylla breathed as she was lead to a giant chair.

She slid into it, and immediately felt it start to massage her back, as the miniature tub she had her feet in began to fill with hot water, body oils, and colorful bubbles. The Angel smiled at Lylla as she slid into the chair next to Lylla. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes as her massage chair started up.

Lylla started a little when she felt her chair being reclined, but when she looked over at the Angel, she was still relaxed with her eyes closed, and so Lylla decided that it was perfectly safe. It almost scared her how much she had come to trust this girl that had killed two men and wouldn't give out a name in only a matter of hours, and how she felt safe with her around.

Two ladies came over and started massaging the girls' scalps, and then gently rinsed their hair. Shampoo and other hair products were massaged into their hair, and it felt so good, with the chair working out all the knots in her back, that Lylla soon closed her eyes and fell into a sleep full of bright colors and wonderful smells.

* * *

Ahsoka and the clones crouched in the bushes, using the shadows and leaves to hide their gleaming white armor.

"I do not like these odds," Rex hissed to Ahsoka.

"Yeah, well, neither do I," Ahsoka hissed back.

Rex immediately regretted his comment. It wasn't Ahsoka's fault they were trapped by the droids.

"When do you think everyone else will get here?" he asked her after a tense silence.

"I don't know. I hope they don't have our genius idea of taking cover in the tress. They'll be better off in the open," Ahsoka murmured quietly as she strained her ears for the sound of approaching droids.

It came much sooner than she had expected, and surprised everyone.

Shouts and shot of laser flew back and forth as the battle started. Ahsoka and Rex teamed up, fighting in tandem and creating a sort of safe haven in the middle in the battle.

"We could really use some help right about now," Rex called to Ahsoka.

"I know," Ahsoka yelled back, focusing on keeping the droids back.

"Isn't this when the Angel is supposed to show up out of nowhere to save our shebs?" Rex muttered to himself.

As if hearing his comment, green laser fire joined the fight, taking out the droids almost quicker than the clones were. Rex used his 360 scanner to look around, but he didn't see anything. He shot a look to Ahsoka, and she nodded once and half-smiled, and he knew they were both thinking the same thing.

_And here she is._

* * *

"That was wonderful," Lylla sighed as she and the Angel headed towards the hotel.

"I thought you might like it," the Angel said smugly.

Lylla started to make a smartass comment to the Angel, when she noticed that she wasn't paying attention. The Angel's gaze was focused on a tiny reflection of a black speeder in the side-view mirror.

"Crap," she muttered, starting to rummage through her bag to make sure she had everything.

"What's wrong?" Lylla asked, concerned for her friend.

"See that black speeder?" the Angel asked, indicating to the tiny black speck that was becoming larger as came closer to the two girls. "Those are the investigators who happen to be looking for me."

Lylla gasped, and started to speed up, but the Angel shouted, "No, no, don't speed up!"

Lylla slowed down, surprised and confused.

"If you speed up, they'll notice and know something is wrong," the Angel said in a hissed breath. "Just let me do what I do and follow my instructions."

Lylla nodded tensely and went back to focusing on flying. The Angel was now looking down, studying the speeders and buildings that were below her.

"Okay, this is my stop," she said casually, getting out of her seat and opening the door.

The wind whipped the hair from her wig around her face as she positioned herself in the door frame.

"If they stop you and ask, tell them that you don't know who I am and that I just appeared on the top of your speeder before just jumping off," the Angel yelled, making sure Lylla could hear her over the roar of the speeder's engines and the wind. "And then stick to your cover story. Keep your eyes focused and keep your heartbeat steady and they won't be able to know you're lying."

Lylla nodded again, and the Angel bunched up her muscles, preparing to leap.

"Wait," Lylla called just before she jumped. The Angel paused and looked at her, indicating she better hurry. "Are you gonna come back?" Lylla asked. She didn't want to say good-bye to her new friend just yet.

"Lylla, I'm not good. Being connected to me in any way is not safe. It is better if I go, and if you never see me again," the Angel said; Lylla could barely hear her.

"But I want to see you again," Lylla said stubbornly.

The Angel smiled and said, "Well then, I guess I'll just have to come back."

Lylla smiled back and watched as the Angel leapt out the door. Lylla looked down, trying to spot her, but the Angel was already lost in the sea of speeders and people.

* * *

"We need and evac out of here, now," Rex yelled to Ahsoka.

"I _know_, Rex," she called back.

She was starting to tire, but she wasn't going to stop until the droids did. But they just kept coming, and coming, and coming, and coming, and-

Suddenly, a shadow hit her from behind, knocking her onto the ground as a missile sailed past right where her head had been seconds before.

"Thanks," Ahsoka turned to say to the Angel, but she had already disappeared.

"Commander?" Fives asked.

"I'm fine, Fives," Ahsoka said, still somewhat dazed at how quickly the Angel had disappeared and how she had seen the missile when Ahsoka hadn't.

The wind around them picked up as more gunships appeared out of the sky. The men let out a quick cheer, and then focused back on holding off the droids.

"Reinforcements or evac?" Ahsoka asked Rex.

"Evac," Rex answered, relief evident in his voice. He wasn't sure how much longer he and his men could hold up.

One gunship landed, and Rex and Ahsoka stood by the doors, covering the men as they turned their back to get into the gunship.

"Commander, get in; I'll cover you," Rex ordered.

Ahsoka hesitated, but her decision was made when a shot just barely missed her head.

"Come on, Rex," she called as she climbed in.

Rex turned and hopped up, not seeing the droid aiming straight at him

The Angel saw it though, just like she had seen the missile, and she leapt. The shot penetrated through her back, and right past her heart. A little to the right, and she would have been gone. She knocked into Rex, not able to control herself as she took the shot meant for him, and slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Rex stared in shock at the unconscious girl collapsed in his arms. He sat down as the gunship took off and looked at her curiously.

"This isn't the girl Jesse and Trapper described," he said to Ahsoka, who had kneeled down next to him to study the girl.

Something caught her eye, and she brought her hand up to the girl's hairline. With a slight tug, she partially pulled off the black wig, revealing the golden hair that had been described.

"But her skin is supposed to be tan," Ahsoka murmured.

Rex brought his hand up to her neck to check if there was still a pulse, and when his hand came away, there was some sort of powdery substance on his glove. Curious, he wiped his hand over half of her face, taking off all of the powder stuff from that half of her face, revealing the tan skin.

"She's wearing make-up?" Ahsoka asked, confused. "Why?"

"It makes sense," Echo spoke up. Everyone in the gunship turned to look at him. "Well, she's on the run after murdering those two rapists, and she seems to know how to disguise herself, so why wouldn't she use her abilities to her advantage?"

"That actually does make sense," Ahsoka said. "Thanks, Echo."

She turned back to the Angel and gently finished removing the rest of the make-up with a wipe from Rex's utility belt.

"She really is very pretty," Ahsoka commented quietly as they all studied the unconscious girl.

"How do we know it's her though, Commander?" Rex asked.

As much as he wanted to believe this was the same girl, they had to absolutely sure. Ahsoka sat back on her heels, and then her face lit back up.

"Remember what Jesse and Trapper said?" she asked Rex.

"They happened to say a lot of things, Commander," Rex commented dryly.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes at him and rolled back one of the Angel's sleeves and held up the arm to Rex.

"Smell," she ordered.

Everyone stared at her like she was crazy.

"Remember? Her skin smells like fire and her hair smells like water," Ahsoka said.

Understanding shone in Rex's eyes and he took off his helmet to smell the Angel.

"This has to be one of the strangest things I have ever done," he muttered as he took a deep breath.

Sure enough, the smell of burning wood hit his nose.

"Yeah, it's her all right," he said, looking at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka smiled triumphantly, but then her smile disappeared.

"Now we just have to keep her alive until we get back to the _Resolute_," she said, worry creasing her brow.

* * *

Ahsoka stood outside the door to the Angel's medbay room, waiting for any type of update from Kix. He had rushed her up to the medbay as soon as they had returned to the _Resolute_, not stopping to explain to the Generals or Cody.

"Hey, Snips," Anakin called, walking down the hallway.

Ahsoka looked up and sighed. She didn't exactly feel like talking with her Master at the moment.

"What's going on?" Anakin asked as he reached his Padawan. "Rex and the other men won't tell me."

"That's 'cause I ordered them not to," Ahsoka said.

"Oh, okay," Anakin said, looking confused. "Well, are you going to tell me?"

Ahsoka paused for a moment, contemplating her choices and how each one might turn out. Then she shook her head and went back to waiting. The door to the medbay slid open and Kix stepped out.

"I need to see Jesse and Trapper," he told Ahsoka quietly.

Ahsoka looked pointedly at her Master and Anakin sighed.

"Jesse, Trapper," he said into his comm, "Kix wants you down at the medbay."

"Yes, sir," came the reply.

Anakin turn his gaze back to Ahsoka and Kix, but they had already disappeared into the room. He tried the door, but it was locked.

"Seriously, Ahsoka?" he growled in annoyance.

Jesse and Trapper found the General leaning up against the wall outside the medbay, obviously annoyed about something.

The door slid back open and Kix stepped aside, allowing Jesse and Trapper in. Anakin managed to squeeze his way in before the door closed, and Ahsoka shot him an annoyed look as soon as he entered.

"Master, I'll tell you in a minute, now go back outside, please," she said. Anakin just stood stubbornly by the door. Ahsoka sighed and then turned her back on him, ignoring him.

"Can you identify her?" Kix asked Trapper and Jesse, indicating to the unconscious girl lying in the medbay.

Jesse studied her thoughtfully, while Trapper stared at her through narrowed eyes.

"That's her," Jesse said suddenly. "The Angel; the girl that saved me."

Kix looked at Trapper who nodded, and then back at Ahsoka.

"Master," Ahsoka said, stepping to the side to allow Anakin to come see the girl. "We seem to have found our angel."

* * *

_I don't know if people need driver's license to drive a speeder, but oh well. I sort of characterized Ahsoka as being easily annoyed in this chapter, so sorry if that bothers you. She'll be back to normal in the next chapter, though._


	9. Interrogations

**Interrogations**

Kix watched the sleeping girl. As Ahsoka had said, she was very pretty. After he had treated her, he had changed her out of her baggy pants and black shirt, and put her into some extra sweatpants and shirt that had been found in a storage closet. The clothes were about five sizes too big for her stocky frame, but he figured it was better than leaving her in her dirt-caked, blood-covered outfit.

Her hands and feet had been bound to the frame of the bed to stop her from moving too much in her sleep. Because of where the wound was, any sort of movement could cause more damage. Now Kix was glad that she was bound. She was obviously dreaming of something, and he figured it was something bad from the way she writhed and squirmed, her head turning side to side as soft whimpers escaped her lips.

"No, please no," he heard her say.

Her squirming became more frantic. It was almost as if she was trying to get away from something. He figured he should go wake her, but General Skywalker had ordered the girl not to be touched or spoken to until they could interrogate her.

Interrogate. She had saved many people, not to mention Skywalker's own Padawan, and they wanted to interrogate her. Kix thought it was ridiculous.

Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she attempted to sit up, only to be restrained by the bindings. Her eyes were wild for a moment until she brought them into focus and saw the medbay with Kix sitting in a corner of the room.

She was breathing heavily, and tears were in her eyes, but she at least seemed to be attempting to calm herself down.

"Wolffe's gonna kill me," she groaned, her head falling to one side.

Screw not talking to her.

"Commander Wolffe?" Kix asked.

The girl's eyes shot wide open at the sound of his voice and she strained her neck to get a good look at him. She blinked a few times, and then she seemed to know where she was.

"Never mind, I thought I was somewhere else," she said.

Kix watched her curiously as her eyes darted swiftly around the room.

"Twelve feet by six feet by nine feet, am I right?" she asked.

Kix paused. _Did she just give the measurements of this room?_

"Yes, I gave the measurements of this room," she said with a sigh. "Now answer my question."

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Kix asked, alarmed.

"Oh, I read people really well. It's how I've survived for so long," the girl answered. "So, am I right?"

Kix, still looking confused, nodded. The girl relaxed and let her head fall back against the pillow.

"Injury: two inches to the left of my heart; through-and-through; entered through my back, and exited through my chest, just to the side of my sternum. Complete recovery: at least, two weeks; at most, a month," she said, her eyes closed.

Kix, again, stared at her in shock. When he didn't respond, she opened one eye and looked at him.

"Well?" she asked, sounding impatient, "Am I right?"

Kix nodded again. The girl nodded back and closed her eye again. She remained silent for a couple minutes, and Kix thought she had fallen back asleep.

He started a little when her heard her voice, soft, quiet, and afraid, ask, "Can I trust you? Am I safe?"

Kix looked at her; really looked at her. Now, instead of seeing the mysterious, "good" killer she was, he saw a scared, defenseless, sixteen-year-old girl. Her eyes were still closed, but her brow was creased with anxiety and worry. He reached out hand and gently rubbed her forehead until the wrinkles disappeared.

"Yes," he murmured, "you are safe, and you can trust me."

* * *

The Angel jerked awake at a soft '_hiss.'_ She quickly glanced around, and saw four men walk in. The door slid closed behind them with another hiss, and she knew that that was the noise that had woke her up.

"General Skywalker, General Kenobi," the man that had been with her and talked to her earlier stood and saluted to two of the men that entered.

One had orange-ish hair combed neatly to one side, and a beard; with sparkling blue eyes. He wore light tan robes, with leather boots and white gauntlets with black, armored gloves. The other general had on dark colored robes that almost seemed to be a dark maroon color. He had wavy, dark brown hair and a scar across one of his blue eyes.

The two other men that walked in behind the generals wore white armor, each painted with a different color. One had orange-yellow paint decorating his armor, the other had blue. The Angel recognized the coloring as being the markings of two different legions.

"Good, you're awake," the brown-haired general said.

The Angel raised her eyebrows. "Good?" she asked.

She narrowed her eyes, the muscles around her eyes tightening as she studied him. He looked at her in confusion with traces of alarm forming in his eyes. Her unblinking gaze stayed on him for so long he started to feel the need to squirm.

"You want to interrogate me," she said, the corners of her mouth picking up in a understanding-ish smile. "You have seen what I can do, and you find it hard to trust me."

The man stared at her in shock, and Kix held back amused laughter. His head snapped around to glare at Kix.

"Anything to say, Kix?" he asked.

"Only that I'm sorry I didn't warn about her ability to do that, General Skywalker," Kix said, struggling to strangle his laughter. He glanced at the Angel and winked at her as he said the man's name.

_He's helping me,_ she realized. _So that would make the other man General Kenobi._

"I thought I ordered you not to talk to her," Skywalker said.

"He didn't," the Angel piped up. "I spoke to him. He never said anything." Her lie was smooth and easy; his generals never picked up on it.

"So, I'm guessing you want me up?" she prompted them when they stayed silent.

"Kix?" General Kenobi asked, looking at the medic.

"As long as she doesn't move around too much," Kix answered.

"Well, release me!" the Angel exclaimed, straining against her bindings. When no one moved, a mischievous gleam ignited in her eyes."Of course, if you don't want to, I could always release myself."

"And how would you do that?" Skywalker asked shortly.

To answer his question, the Angel contracted the muscles in her hand, seeming to shrink it before everyone's eyes. She rotated her hand, and then slipped it easily out of the binding. She then proceeded to snatch a scalpel up from the tray where Kix had left it lying dangerously close to her bed, and cut through the rest of the bindings.

"Like. That," she said triumphantly, smirking the General.

He just stared at her in shock, and she sighed and rolled her head around to look at Kix.

"Do all of you respond like that whenever I do something?" she asked.

Kix nodded, since he wasn't allowed to speak to her; technically, nodding wasn't speaking.

"Just get up," Skywalker said irritably.

"Chill with the bossing," the Angel said as she slid off the bed. She turned to General Kenobi. "Anything you want to add, Orange?" Her voice was amused; she was enjoying herself. He just shook his head slightly and sighed.

No one noticed as she passed the tray with Kix's medical instruments on it, her hand slipped over a slim, toothpick-like object. "Aren't you gonna put cuffs on me or something?" she asked.

The two armored men shot looks at each other, and then the one with the blue paint grabbed a pair of cuffs off his utility belt. The Angel held out her hands to him, and, with surprising gentleness, he clipped the binders around her wrists.

She was led down multiple hallways, her sharp eyes taking in everything as she memorized and mentally mapped the route they took. She was brought to a hallway with many small rooms, all closed off with some sort of orange-red force field.

Two armored men stood outside each entrance, obviously guarding it. Two men saluted the Generals as they led the Angel into one of the rooms. The force field was deactivated, and she spotted a control panel right outside the entrance. She also spotted an escape opportunity. She slipped the toothpick thing out of her sleeve, and then dropped it in the way of the force field without anyone noticing. When the force field reactivated behind them, it passed over the "toothpick", causing a tiny hole no one would notice.

"Sit," Skywalker ordered, nodding to a chair that was on the far side of a table and faced the force field.

The Angel stood stubbornly by the entrance.

"What did I say about the bossing?" she asked in a singsong voice.

Skywalker sighed, and then added, "Please."

She smiled and sauntered over to the chair, and slipped easily into it. All four men noticed how easily and fluidly she moved despite just having been nearly killed.

The men all glanced at each other, and then Skywalker just barely nodded his head towards the entrance. Kenobi blinked once, a second too slow, and the two armored men just slightly inclined her head. The Angel knew they were all having a silent conversation, and that she wasn't supposed to be able to notice that, but she did.

"Just go outside and have your little conversation," she said with a soft sigh.

They all turned to look at her in surprise, and she smiled.

"Oh, yeah, I saw your guys' silent little convo going on over there," she added pleasantly.

They glanced at each other quickly, and then one by one they exited the room. The Angel just sat perfectly still with her bound hands on the table, staring out the force field. The only movement was the blinking of her eyes. She didn't bother to look around or search for a way to escape. She already had a plan, and a game she wanted to play.

* * *

"She's good," Rex said to Cody over the private channel as their Generals discussed whatever they were discussing.

"Completely unfazed," Cody muttered.

They both turned to look at the sixteen-year-old girl that sat, calmly staring out the ray shield, blinking once in a while. Never once did her gaze waver, or her eyes move from the spot on the far wall that she was staring at.

"She has to be thinking something," Rex said.

"A girl as good as her at killing and then disappearing is always planning something," Cody added. "What is she planning now?"

"That's what I would like to know," Rex said with a sigh.

* * *

Finally, finally, _finally_, the Angel's interrogators returned. It had been exactly two hours, fifty-seven minutes, and ten seconds; she had counted.

"So, Angel," Kenobi said as he sat down in front of her.

"That's not my name," she interrupted him.

"That's the only name we've got for you," the man in blue said gruffly from his position behind Skywalker. The Angel didn't even glance his way.

"What were you doing at that battle?" Kenobi asked.

"Saving lives," the Angel said.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Skywalker said, coming forward.

She moved her gaze from Kenobi to Skywalker, and blinked once very slowly.

"Ask your two troopers I saved a while back," she said. "Or the girl in the red-rust colored outfit. Or him." She nodded in the direction of the soldier with the blue paint.

Skywalker spun around to look at him, and he nodded once.

"Why?" Kenobi asked.

The Angel let out a dramatic sigh.

"So many questions, Orange." She sat up straight and looked Kenobi in the eyes, piercing his light blue ones with her dark blue ones. "Why don't you just get to the ones that really matter? The "how did you get past our security" and the "who are you" and the "what's your name" and the "where do you come from."

"Okay," Kenobi agreed, "Who are you?"

The Angel pursed her lips and slightly tipped her head down towards the table as she thought.

"There are many things people from my planet say define someone," she said. "You are what you eat, which means I could be a fruit or a drink or a vegetable. You are what you think, so if I think I am a bug, I guess I could be a bug…"

She went on through many other things: you are what you say, you are what others think you are, you are what you live, etc.

"And then there is one last one: you are what you do," she said, still looking at the table. She looked up at Kenobi from underneath her eyebrows, her eyes gleaming in the strange lighting of the interrogation room. "I kill people. So, I guess I'm a killer."

* * *

Ahsoka lay in her back, staring up at the ceiling. She thought about the girl. She knew her Masters were interrogating her, along with Rex and Cody, but Ahsoka thought that wasn't exactly the way you said thank you to the person who had saved your life.

Deciding she couldn't sleep, she rolled off her bed and walked to the Mess Hall. She hoped the interrogation would be done for the moment and Rex would be there.

Much to Ahsoka's disappointment, he wasn't. She grabbed a cup of caf, though, and joined Fives, Echo, Waxer, and Boil at a table.

"Something wrong, Commander?" Fives asked when Ahsoka was silent, staring down into her cup of caf.

She remained silent more many more minutes, and the clones patiently waited for their CO to explain what was bothering her.

"It doesn't seem right to interrogate her when she risked her life to save us," Ahsoka finally said.

The clones glanced at each other. They knew exactly who the "she" was.

"We have to be careful, Commander," Waxer said. "She could be a spy for the Seps."

"You think a spy for the Separatists would risk their life to save members of the enemy army?" Ahsoka asked him incredulously.

"It would be a good way to get us to trust her," Boil said, backing up his brother.

"Have you seen this girl's skills?" Ahsoka snapped. "She wouldn't have to earn our trust, she could just take whatever information she needed and leave."

Waxer shrugged in reluctant agreement to that, and went back to eating whatever sludge the Mess Hall was serving at the moment.

Suddenly a collective gasp came from the troopers in the room, and Ahsoka turned to see the Angel walking calmly into the room. She had been changed into clothing that seemed about ten sizes too big, and hung loosely on her, but she didn't seem to mind. She walked with the confidence only someone like her could have.

"Are they done with the interrogations?" Ahsoka asked her as she stretched out on the bench next to her.

The Angel laughed, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Oh, hell no," she said.

"Then how did you get out?" Fives asked, raising his eyebrows.

The Angel shrugged; "They left me alone, and I was bored, not to mention hungry, so I decided to come find this place. Oh, first I had to break out of that little annoying room I was in."

"You broke out of the interrogation room you were in?" Ahsoka asked in disbelief.

The Angel took a bite of a rations bar, only to spit it back out while making a face. All the clones laughed, and even Ahsoka had to admit it was a little comical.

"'Course I did," the Angel said, tossing the rations bar aside.

She sat up and reached for Fives tray of food. Grabbing the fork out of Boil's hand, she took a bite of the so-called "food" only to spit _that_ back out also. She pushed the tray of food back to Fives, and handed Boil back his fork, ignoring their surprised looks.

"Blechy," she coughed, squinching up her face and shaking her head back and forth quickly, causing her hair to fly everywhere.

Again, everyone laughed at her, and Ahsoka joined in this time.

"Oh, watevs," the Angel grumbled, but humor sparkled in her eyes.

Suddenly, she stiffened, and then she jumped up.

"See you guys later," she called as she sprinted out of the Mess Hall.

Ahsoka and everyone else stared after her in confusion, until Anakin, Obi-wan, Rex, and Cody came running into the Mess.

"Where did she go?" Anakin asked, almost groaning.

Ahsoka silently pointed at the door, and to the left, the direction the Angel had run in. The four of them let out a collective groan, and then took off running again after the Angel.

Ahsoka watched them leave, and then busted out laughing.

"You know," she said, turning back to Fives, Echo, Waxer, and Boil, "maybe we could all learn a few things from her."

* * *

The Angel ran quickly and silently through the halls. She rounded corner after corner, trying to lose her pursuers as best she could.

She leapt up into an air shaft and crawled thorough it until she came to where she guess the interrogation rooms were. Silently, she exited the air shaft and slipped back into her interrogation room. She had left the force field deactivated when she left, and obviously no one had thought of reactivating it.

She sat down in her chair and snapped the cuffs back onto her wrists, and resumed staring at the wall. Just in time, too. Her pursuers came barreling down the hall, red-faced and out of breath.

"Kix said not moving too much," Kenobi said breathlessly. "That was moving a lot."

The Angel shrugged, her gaze not moving from the wall. That was some of the most fun she had had in ages.

"Okay, can you just answer our questions, Angel?" Skywalker asked.

"That's not my name," the Angel said in a faraway voice.

"Too bad," Skywalker said. "How did you get onto the planet?"

"My ship is attached to one of the airlocks. It's cloaked, so you wouldn't be able to find it," the Angel answered. "And then I just hitch-hiked on one of your guys' flying, square-shaped thingys."

All the life suddenly seemed drained from her as she answered question after question.

"And, Angel-," Kenobi started to say after a while.

"That. Is. Not. My. Name," the Angel hissed through gritted teeth, cutting him off again.

"Than what is?" Skywalker asked.

But the Angel didn't answer. Her eyes had glazed over and she seemed lost in a trance. Tentatively, both Skywalker and Kenobi reached out to her mind. No shields were in place, so they proceeded to dig into her thoughts. What they saw was not what they expected.

* * *

"_Archangel, are you in position?" Wolffe asked, her comm buzzing to life in her ear._

"_In position and waiting," she responded, taking aim at the mark._

"_Happy you can finally put all that sniper training to use?" another voice teased in her ear._

"_Shut up, Eagle," she hissed playfully._

"_Quiet," Wolffe ordered. They immediately fell silent._

_Suddenly, screams broke out and people started streaming from the mall that the mark was in._

"_What's going on?" she asked._

_Her little brother was in there, and so was her sister._

"_It seems our mark has decided to take two hostages, and use them as bombs," Wolffe said calmly._

_She froze, and then whipped out her phone, calling her sister. It rang and rang, and then her sister finally picked up._

"_You're on speaker," her sister hissed._

_The Angel remained silent as she listened. _

"_Tell your friends to stand down, or you die," a heavily accented, male voice said. It was their mark._

"_They won't," the Angel's sister said. "They won't risk everyone's life just to save ours. As my sister once told me: it is better to sacrifice one life to save thousands, than to sacrifice thousands to save one."_

"_Then so be it," the mark said._

_The sound of footsteps receding was followed by some beeping. It was the bomb counting down._

"_Are you afraid?" the Angel heard her sister ask her brother._

"_No," he answered. "I am not afraid to die. I am not scared. It will be quick, and then we will be reunited with family." _

_The Angel felt tears well up. Her little brother was so wise for his age._

"_Neither am I," her sister said. _

"_We love you, Sis," her brother said as the beeping got louder. "We always will."_

_And then the bomb exploded. _

"_NO!" the Angel screamed, shrill and short._

_She saw the mark running from the building. She could hit him, but it would cause a lot of attention. But it would be worth it. That man had just killed some of the only family she had left._

"_Archangel, stand down," Wolffe snapped, seeing her intentions._

_She ignored him, and took aim._

"_Archangel, I said stand down!" he repeated._

_Again, she ignored him as her finger squeezed the trigger. _

_It was a beautiful shot, hitting the mark straight in the back of the head._

"_Let's go," Wolffe growled, clearly angry, "N.O.W."_

_The Angel did, moving silently with the rest of her group. It didn't matter that Wolffe would be angry with her. Killing the man had been worth it._

* * *

_The Angel stood in the hot sun, letting it bake her skin. She closed her eyes, the sun felt good. She reopened her eyes at the sound of approaching footsteps and saw Ali Shalev, her secret boyfriend, jogging across the dirt road to meet her._

"_I haven't seen you in a while," he said as he wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her up in a hug,_

"_That's because I was on a mission, and I can't disappear too often, or it would look suspicious," the Angel said, stretching up to kiss Ali's check._

_He just shook his head._

"_Remind me again why we have to keep it a secret," he said._

_The Angel sighed._

"_Your father does not like me, and the person who is in charge of me would be very mad if he found out I had fallen in love with someone from one of our missions."_

_Ali pulled away and held the Angel at arm's length. _

"_You do not seem to me the type of girl who is intimidated by men," he said thoughtfully._

_The Angel laughed, and asked, "Have you met Wolffe? Ugh, he's a nightmare."_

_Ali laughed with her, but suddenly his eyes narrowed and he shoved the Angel behind him._

"_Ali?" she asked alarmed._

_But she never got an answer, because she heard the crack of a gun going off, and saw Ali fall to the ground, blood spreading across his chest where he had been shot._

"_I know who you are," he murmured, reaching up a hand to brush the Angel's face. "And I know what you do, but that does not matter to me, because you are my angel in life."_

_The Angel stared down at him, her eyes wide, shaking her head._

"_No, don't leave me," she begged. "Please, Ali."_

_But Ali was already dead._

* * *

_The Angel looked at her brother._

"_I missed you when I was away," she said. He looked at her._

"_I missed you too," he said. She was trying to be cheerful and happy, but he knew something was off._

"_What's wrong?" he asked his younger sister._

_She stood still for a moment, before turning and running to him and wrapping her arms around him._

"_Ali was killed," she murmured. "He died protecting me. I think it was his father who fired the shot."_

_Her brother just stroked her head as her tears soaked through his shirt. _

"_Don't worry," he said, "everything will be-"_

_He was cut off by the sound of a gun going off, and the Angel felt something warm start spreading over her chest and stomach. Her brother collapsed in her arms, unbalancing her and causing them to crash onto the ground. She pushed him away from her and saw the wound._

"_Alright," her brother finished his sentence. He looked lovingly at his sister. "Just be strong, and keep doing what you do best," he murmured, coughing as he did so. "Continue to be an angel that everyone looks up to."_

_The Angel shook her brother by the shoulder, trying to keep him alive by sheer hope. But she knew it was worthless. Her brother died lying on the floor of the kitchen in their tiny house._

_Tears of grief streamed silently down her face, as she bent and rested her head on her brother's rapidly cooling shoulder. Now, everyone she loved was dead. _

_She decided she could not love anymore. Having emotions only led to pain. Hadn't she learned that when her family had started being killed off?_

* * *

_One word echoed in her mind from every memory: angel. It repeated in every memory, playing over and over again like a broken record._

_When anyone from the last of her family had died, the word angel was always somewhere in the mess, and it ripped at her heart._

_The word brought up painful memories. She couldn't show them though. She couldn't show her weakness. The four men who stood interrogating her could use it to their advantage. _

_At least she could snap at them whenever they called her angel. Or maybe she could just tell them her name. Yes, that would be easiest. It might be dangerous, but it was worth the risk._

* * *

The Jedi withdrew from the girl's mind, and saw her watching them intently.

"Did you learn anything useful?" she asked. Her teasing, playful tone was gone, replaced by bitter harshness.

"What. Is. Your. Name?" Kenobi asked her quietly.

She took a deep breath, debating whether to tell them or not. Finally, she came to a decision.

"I come from a planet not in this galaxy," she said. Her voice was normal now, and carried clearly across the small table. "And my name is Jiana Sasha White."

* * *

_I know I just updated, like, yesterday, but I have to babysit my little brother, so I have time to get a lot of writing done. Anyways, there's how Sasha and her family (and friends) is related to the story. The first flashback is Kayla and Gavin, and the third flashback is Cody, just in case you were wondering. _


	10. The Ones Who Get Too Close

**The Ones Who Get Too Close**

"That's a mouthful, so is there a nickname or something we can call you?" Anakin asked.

Sasha paused at that. She had been called Sasha all her life, but that part of her life was over and done with. She knew there was no going back to the past. So she said, "Jia; you can call me Jia."

Obi-wan just stared at the girl, trying to get over what he had just seen in her mind.

"Go ahead and say it," Jia said tiredly. "You know what I am, and you know what I do, and you know I'm wanted by the authorities; go ahead and lie to me, telling me you wish you didn't have to, but you're going to turn me in."

Silence fell over the room when no one answered her.

"No," Anakin said finally. Now that they had gotten some information out of the stubborn girl, he had calmed down a bit and was trying to be nicer towards her. "No, we turn you in; they'll lock you up and keep you there for life. So, we don't turn you in."

Jia just barely spared a glance his way. She kept her gaze trained on Obi-wan, piercing him with her eyes as she read every blink and muscle twitch.

She could tell he was thinking about what she was; the title she had given herself. She could tell he was comparing her killing abilities with the fact that she had risked her life to save his troops with what he had just seen in her mind.

"You know what I am," she told him. "You're just refusing to say it."

Obi-wan looked at her in surprise, and she explained, "I have the ability to second-guess people's thoughts and emotions from their body language."

Obi-wan just nodded distractedly and his eyes defocused as he sank back into thought.

"Damn it!" Jia burst out, startling everyone. She jumped out of her chair and slammed her bound hands onto the table, and leaned towards Obi-wan. "Just say it already! Say what I am, and stop trying to find some way around it!"

When he remained silent, smacked him on the side of the head, causing him to turn and glare at her.

"Say. It," she growled.

Obi-wan sighed, and said very softly, "Assassin."

* * *

Jia walked back to the medbay, accompanied by Rex and Cody.

"You're lucky, you know," she said quietly. "You still have people around you can consider as family; brothers. Don't take that for granted."

Rex and Cody looked at each other, unsure of how to respond. Cody shrugged at Rex, and then placed his hand on Jia's right shoulder. He didn't miss the way she flinched slightly under his touch, but he didn't comment about it.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said.

Jia laughed, surprising both men. They hadn't exactly thought of her the type of person that could laugh.

"Seriously? I'm your prisoner and you're calling me "ma'am"?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "That's very polite and all, but I've never been big on formalities, as you probably saw with your orange-haired General. Just call me Jia."

"Yes, ma- Jia," Cody said awkwardly. Jia just laughed to herself and continued walking.

"You know, I still don't know your guys' names," she said. She turned around so she was walking backwards, and pointed to Rex. "What's your name?"

"CT-7567," Rex answered promptly.

Jia raised her eyebrows at him, a smile playing on her lips.

"_That's_ your name?" she asked in disbelief.

"The one that's recorded, yes," Rex answered.

"That is not a _name_, you idiot. That is just some random _number_ with letters in front of it," Jia said in amused exasperation.

She turned to Cody.

"And what are you? TS-1234?"

Cody chuckled; "No, I'm CC-2224."

"Ahh, so you're a CC," Jia said. She turned to Rex and said in a loud whisper, "He's a CC."

Rex shook his head and tried not to laugh.

"Okay, so this time I want real answers, which means real names," Jia ordered. "What are your names?"

"Rex."

"Cody."

Jia smiled and said happily, "There, that's more like it."

They arrived at the medbay shortly afterwards, and Kix took one look at Jia, and then turned on Rex and Cody.

"What the hell happened to her?" he asked. "I thought I said not too much movement."

Rex grimaced.

"She decided it would be fun to play hide-and-seek-tag around the ship. That was, of course, after she somehow escaped the interrogation room."

Kix turned to look at Jia, and stared up at him innocently.

"Not working," he said.

Jia let out a disappointed sigh, but then perked back up a moment later and tossed Kix the instrument she had taken from the tray when she had left.

"Thanks for letting be borrow that," she said. He looked at her in confusion, and then suspicion.

"Did you use this to break out of the interrogation room?" Kix asked.

Jia shrugged, and then started swinging her arms across her body, looking innocent and free of guilt.

"Just go lay down," Kix sighed. She smiled and skipped into the room.

"Her shoulder tensed up when I touched it," Cody said as he and Rex followed Jia and Kix into the medbay, the door sliding shut behind them.

Jia snapped her head around. At first, her eyes were wide with shock, and then they narrowed and she glared at him. Cody backed up a few steps and held his hands up in surrender.

"Sorry, kid, but the doc's gotta know."

Jia glared at him for a moment longer, and then she huffed in reluctant agreement.

"Let me see," Kix ordered, pushing past Cody and Rex to examine his patient.

Jia complied, sliding her shirt off over her head. Her sharp ears didn't miss the quick intake of breath from one of the clones in the medbay, but she decided to ignore it. She figured Kix had changed her, so one of them had already seen her without a shirt; and besides, she still had her bra on, which was not that much different from a swim suit.

Her back was to Kix, Rex, and Cody, and they could all see the strange scar on her shoulder. It looked like a design of some sort. Gently, Kix pressed his fingers to the scar, and traced the circular outline of it. Like with Cody, Jia flinched away from his touch for a moment, before she forced herself to relax.

"Stop staring," she muttered.

Both Rex and Cody froze; Kix rolled his eyes and went back to examining the scar.

"How did you-," Rex stuttered.

"Assassin," Jia said pointing to herself, as if that explained everything. She was quiet for a moment, and then she said, "If someone's looking at me for a long time, I get this feeling in my stomach, and if they keep looking, I can pinpoint what they were looking at."

Kix stepped back and turned to the side to pick up some metal object. He turned back to Jia and pressed it against her skin, and she yelped and tried to jerk away.

"That's _cooooold,_" she complained.

"Well, when is said "let me see", I didn't mean take off your shirt," Kix said as he pressed the metal instrument against another section of skin. Again, Jia yelped.

"You could've been clearer," she said, jumping when the object made contact with her skin again.

Kix didn't reply, and Jia suddenly realized he guessed she would've taken off her shirt if he hadn't been specific. _Jackass,_ she thought. _He completely manipulated me._

"You owe me big time," Jia hissed at Kix when he finished with the cold, metal thing. She turned around so she could give him her glare on full power.

"What do you mean?" Kix asked, his face a mask of innocence.

"You manipulated me," Jia stated.

"Just lay back down," Kix ordered. He started to walk around her, but she side-stepped, blocking him.

She crossed her arms and stood with her feet slightly apart, glaring at him stubbornly. She glared at him until he had to stop himself from squirming with discomfort.

"Okay, I did," he said finally. "I'm sorry."

Jia hopped up onto the bed, and sat kicking her legs back and forth.

"Never apologize," she said after a moment, "it is a sign of weakness."

She then crawled under the sheet, and then asked, "Hey, can I go to my ship?"

Rex and Cody immediately got suspicious. "Why?" Rex asked.

"So I can grab my bag of stuff."

They glanced at each other and then Rex said, "Just don't try anything."

Jia's eyes shimmered mischievously.

"You mean like earlier?"

"Yes," Cody groaned. "Please no repeat of that."

Jia just smiled and she leapt nimbly off the bed, and then took off running down the hall.

"HEY," Rex bellowed as he and Cody shot after her. Kix just stood in the doorway watching with amusement.

Life on the _Resolute_ was definitely going to be more exciting with this girl around.

Jia pressed herself up against the wall, breathing silently as she listened for her pursuers. She heard them, and scooted down the wall a little.

"Boo," she cried, jumping out at them from around the corner. They both started, and then stumbled to a stop.

"That was fun," Jia said, smiling and hopping around them.

"You're supposed to be injured," Cody pointed out as he caught his breath. "And Kix ordered you not to move around a lot."

When Jia just shrugged, Rex added, "You're also supposed to be about sixteen."

Jia lifted her chin and stared at him mutinously.

"And? That doesn't mean I can't have fun."

Deciding it best to change the topic, Cody asked, "Where's your ship?"

"Right here," Jia answered.

Both Cody and Rex looked around at the hallway that was empty except for them.

"Not _here_," Jia said, grabbing onto one of their hands. She dragged them down the hall and stopped right in front of a door. "_Here._"

She took out her knife, and flipped out some sort of tool. Both clones watched curiously as she fiddled around with the control panel that was right outside the door, and a few moments later, the doors slid open.

She slipped through the doors, and pressed her palm against a panel on the outside of her ship. The door slid open, and she stepped inside, followed by Rex and Cody.

The room they had stepped into contained a very comfortable looking bed and a dresser with open drawers. Clothes lay on the floor, and there was an open book thrown onto the unmade bed.

"Sorry about the mess," Jia said as she stepped over everything.

She led them into another room which contained all sorts of electronics. One of them showed the schematics for the _Resolute_ on its screen, and another one showed the different sorts of armor the clones wore and the weak points and what-not. Another screen was flipping through different things so quickly that it hurt the clones' eyes.

"It's checking to see if anyone has managed to track me down," Jia explained when she saw what they were trying to avoid looking at.

She led them into the cockpit, where they saw a backpack leaning against the pilot's seat. Next to the bag was a neatly folded, green and black woven blanket. Jia grabbed the backpack and blanket, and then led them back out to the hallway.

Rex was just barely able to catch her sly smile, before she shot off again, this time going the opposite way of the medbay.

"Now where is she going?" Cody grumbled as he and Rex took off after her, _again._

* * *

Jia laughed as she ran down the halls of the ship. She closed her eyes and spread her arms wide, feeling the wind she was creating flow through her hair.

Taking her comm out of her backpack as she ran, she turned it on and quickly set it for the general frequency used on the ship.

"Fives, Echo, coming your way," she heard Rex say.

She rounded a corner and saw who must've been Fives and Echo. They both made a grab for her, but she spun and twirled out of their way, dancing almost.

She continued to run; now listening to four pair of footsteps come after her.

She heard Rex say to all the clones on the ship that if they saw her to try and catch her and return her to the medbay.

_Let's have some fun with this,_ Jia thought. She ran towards where she knew a large group of clones would be: the Mess Hall. Sure enough, once she entered, it only took about three seconds before everyone was trying to catch her.

She leapt and twirled, ducking and sliding, feeling fingers brush up against her, but no one being able to catch her. She exited the Mess after a couple of minutes, and headed back towards the medbay. She was almost there when she ran into two troopers. They spotted her and approached her slowly and casually.

Jia could tell that they were thinking of this as a game, also, and so they were going to try and toy with her mind. She decided to let them, and backed up against a wall. They sped up, thinking they had her cornered.

"You know, you can cause a lot of trouble for one little girl," one of them said.

Jia smirked; "I do try."

Then they lunged. Knowing it was all play, Jia slipped between them, and then shoved them with her shoulder. They fell like dominos, toppling on the floor.

"I win," she said, turning on her heel and sprinting back to the medbay.

"Not quite," a voice said behind her.

Jia wasted no time in hopping into the bed, spreading the blanket over herself and tucking her backpack in with her.

"Yes, because I made it back to medbay and into bed without any of you catching me," she said, turning to see the owner of the voice was either Echo or Fives. "Anyways, what's your name?"

"CT-," he started to say, but Jia cut him off.

"Your COs tried to pull that on me. A _number _is not a _name_."

The clone let out a breath of laughter and said, "Fives."

"So then the other one must be Echo," Jia said. She raised her voice to make sure Echo could hear her. "Come on in, I know you're right outside the door."

There was a pause, and then Echo stepped into view.

"_All_ of you," Jia sighed.

There was another pause, and then Cody, Rex, and some others she recognized from her first visit to the Mess Hall stepped away from the wall.

"Yeah," Jia said, relaxing contentedly against her pillow, "I definitely won."

And then she fell asleep.

* * *

Anakin and Obi-wan stepped silently into the medbay, knowing how aware Jia was to her surroundings even when she was asleep.

"I really don't want to do this," Anakin breathed to Obi-wan, "especially after last time."

"It is the only way we will be able to learn anything," Obi-wan said with a soft sigh.

They both stood still and watched the sleeping girl for a moment, and then reached out with the Force, and delved into Jia's mind for the second time.

* * *

_She walked down the side of the dirt road, dressed in a black burqa, sticking to the shadows of the building. No one was supposed to notice her, but he did. A boy, of about seventeen, saw the lone girl walking down the street in the shadows. He slipped away from his group of friends and jogged to catch up to her._

"_You are a woman," he said as he came up behind her. She did not start or jump, but she did pause and turn around. "You should not be out alone. Do you have a note?" _

_He spoke in Dari, instead of the more common Pashtu. The girl did not respond at first, but then she answered. _

_Her voice was soft and smooth as she said, "No man is going to stop me from going on a walk."_

_The boy, grabbed her wrist as she tried to walk away, and dragged her around a corner, where he pinned her up against a brick wall that was pretty much rubble._

"_You are very bold," he said. His voice was dangerous, but she wasn't afraid._

"_And you are very annoying," she retorted. _

_The boy paused at that. No girl had ever dared insult him, and it took him by surprise. Angered, he raised his hand, intent on hitting this rude girl, but when he struck, she ducked, and he only ended up knocking off the hood of her burqa. _

_It fell, revealing thick golden hair that was in two tight braids down her back, tan skin, and bright blue eyes._

"_You're an American," the boy said in rough English. _

"_You're a genius," she retorted. _

"_What are you doing here?" he asked, switching back to Dari._

"_That is none of your concern," the girl said._

_She expected the boy to release, her but he didn't. Of course, she could have just fought her way away from him, but no use in revealing all of her skills until absolutely necessary. _

"_I am Daniel Numas," the boy said after a minute. "I am sure my father would be very interested in meeting an American; especially one that is here alone."_

_The girl nodded._

"_Okay, I will come."_

_Daniel smiled and stepped back, allowing her to step away from the wall._

"_Before we go, I should know your name," he said to the girl._

"_Akilah," she said. "My mother was from this part of the world, and my father allowed her to name me."_

_Daniel took Akilah's wrist and led her back to his group of friends. She didn't bother to put the hood of her burqa back up. In fact, she slipped out of it as they walked. _

"_Well, Akilah," Daniel said, "welcome to Lebanon."_

_He led her down multiple streets, and it almost seemed as if he was trying to get her lost. _

"_I need to see your identification please," some sort of officer said._

"_My father is a very important man," Daniel said, "I should not need to identify myself."_

_The officer moved his gaze to Akilah._

"_She is a woman without a covering," he said. "Now I really need to see identification."_

"_I don't have one," Akilah said. _

"_Then you are now under my jurisdiction," the officer said._

_Akilah gave a sad look to Daniel, and then stepped to the side of the officer._

"_She's mine," Daniel hissed, he pushed the officer aside, and grabbed Akilah by the wrist. He started to drag her down the road, when a shot in the heart stopped him._

_Akilah didn't spare a second glance at the fallen body. Her mission was done and she turned and walked away._

* * *

"_Archangel, I need an I.D.," Eagle said._

_Archangel looked up from the book she was "reading", and glanced around the country bar-and-grill she, "Eagle", and "Red" were at. _

"_From who?" she asked. _

_No one was acting suspicious at all in any way. She watched as couples danced and friends clanked beers._

"_Everyone," Eagle answered._

_Archangel coughed, choking on her drink._

"_You're kidding right?"she squeaked._

"_Have fun," Red joined the conversation._

"_Red, I swear, as soon as I can get to you-," Archangel started to threaten, but cut herself off as a boy, about eighteen-years-old, walked over and slid into the booth she was sitting in. _

"_Let me pay," he said, tossing some money onto the table._

_Archangel glanced at him shyly from behind her book._

"_Thanks," she said._

_The boy flashed a dazzling smile and said, "My name's Zach. What's yours?"_

"_Felicia," Archangel answered promptly, turning back to her book._

_Zach gripped her hands in his and gently slipped the book out of her grasp._

"_You're very shy, aren't you?" he asked, scooting closer to Archangel._

_She heard Red snort over the comm._

"_He doesn't know how wrong he is."_

"_I guess," Archangel said. "I've just sort of learned to _**be quiet**_ or some people will make fun of me."_

_Zach inched closer._

"_Shame on them," he murmured, his eyes daring Archangel to try and move away from him. She met his gaze steadily, staring straight into his eyes._

_Zach the leaned down and kissed her. He was gentle at first, but then his kiss became hungrier. _

"_Is he… making out with you?" Eagle asked, jealously creeping into his voice._

"_I guess they _**get over it**_," Archangel said breathlessly._

_Zach rested his forehead against hers as his fingers played with the buttons on her pale blue, button-down shirt. His hands moved down to her waist as he recaptured her lips with his._

"_Aww, you're kidding me," Red groaned as he heard the sounds of more kissing._

"_You know, Archangel, you owe me a make-out after torturing me like this," Eagle said._

Do not,_ she mentally argued. As if hearing her thoughts, Eagle said, "Oh, yes you do. And don't bother trying to talk your way out of it."_

_Archangel groaned, not in response to Zach, but to Eagle. _I'll kill you,_ she thought. As expected, he seemed to pick up on her thoughts and said, "I know you're quite capable of killing me, but I also happen to know that you would never."_

_That was Eagle's talent. He could anticipate people's thoughts, remarks, comments, and questions, and could respond to them in a way that made sense. That was sometimes how conversations went with him. Archangel smiled against Zach's lips at Eagle._

"_Do you like that?" Zach asked huskily, pulling her body closer to his._

_Archangel blinked, she had completely forgotten about kissing Zach. When she remained silent, Zach's eyes narrowed and his hand slid down onto her inner thigh. Archangel brought her hands down and placed them over Zach's, halting any further movement. Zach looked up at her, and she slightly shook her head. _

"_Not tonight, sweetheart?" he asked._

"_Sorry," Archangel said._

_Zach eyed her through narrowed eyes. Then he slid out of the booth. _

_He bent down, and breathed in her ear, "I'll be looking out for you."_

_Archangel just snorted and rolled her eyes after Zach walked away. _

"_Is he promising me or threatening me?" she asked Red._

"_Tone of voice, body language, distance from you," Red stated as he quickly did the calculations in his head. "I'd say he's trying to mess with your head."_

"_Yeah, well good luck with that to him. Anyways, what did you need, Eagle? I.D.s?" she asked._

"_Yea, from everyone; someone here is fake-,"_

"_You mean besides us?" Red interrupted._

"_Yes, besides us," Eagle said with a sigh. "Anyways, we need to figure out who it is that is fake."_

"_Got it," Archangel said, sliding out of the booth._

_She started twirling and spinning, her hands brushing past people's pockets as she took their cell phones and wallets without them noticing. _

"_How did you get these so quickly?" Red asked when she dumped them all at his and Eagle's table._

_Archangel smirked; "Thief's dance."_

_She leaned over Eagle's shoulder, watching as he and Red sifted through everything._

"_Someone's missing," Red said. "I've counted twenty-six people coming in, no one has left, and there's only twenty-five."_

_Archangel looked over the I.D.s and phones, and then said, "Zach."_

_Both Red and Eagle looked at her._

"_He's the fake," she elaborated. She looked around the bar. "Where the hell did he go?"_

"_Back exit, I see him," she said. _

_Eagle looked up; "I see him, too."_

_He exchanged a glance with Archangel, and she nodded. She grabbed her knife and Eagle grabbed his gun off the table._

"_Let's move," he said. _

_They hugged the wall, creeping around to the back exit, invisible in the crowd. No one noticed the boy with the gun, or the girl with the knife. _

"_Hey, Zach," Archangel said, startling him. "I brought someone who would like to meet you."_

_Zach turned around and smiled his smile at her. "Who, sweetheart?"_

"_Me," Eagle said, stepping out from the shadows. His gun was hidden behind his back, out of view of Zach._

"_So, _Zach_," Archangel said, taking another step towards him. "Whatchya doin' sneaking out the back?" _

_Zach's eyes narrowed, and he turned away from the door._

"_And while we're asking questions, what's your real name?" Eagle said, also taking another step towards "Zach."_

"_I don't know what you're talking about," Zach said. _

_He sounded honest, he looked honest, but Archangel could see in his eyes he was lying._

"_You really should work on your lying skills," she said, taking another step._

_Zach backed up towards the door, and looked around, frantically searching for a way out of the mess he had gotten himself into. _

_When he found none, he said in a panicked, "Matata, matata!"_

"_What the hell?" Eagle asked._

"_It's a code word, you dumbass," Archangel snapped, she socked Zach in the mouth, causing him to shut up. "He's wearing a wire."_

_She ripped off his shirt, revealing the thin wire that ran along the length of his torso. She yanked it off his body, and then pulled it taut and stepped on it. It snapped with a loud, ear-splitting crack. _

"_We don't have much time," she said to Eagle as she pulled Zach out the back door. Eagle followed, his gun at ready as he looked for Zach's friends coming to rescue him._

_Archangel forced Zach up against the wall._

"_Well, I see you aren't shy anymore," Zach said, staring down at her with eyes wide with fear._

"_I never was," Archangel said. "Now who are you transmitting to?"_

"_No one," Zach said. "I use the wire to record conversations with girls so I know how to act better around them."_

"_You know," Eagle said as he searched the night for the "rescuers", "I might believe you if you hadn't just screamed a code word."_

"_I asked _who_," Archangel hissed, starting to slowly apply pressure to the pressure point right behind the ear._

"_Okay, okay," Zach said, starting to whimper in pain. "I was transmitting to my older brother. He runs some sort of FBI group that hunts down this group of people who have taken it upon themselves to wipe out terrorist cells. He says they are a threat to national security."_

_Eagle and Archangel shared a glance._

"_Huh, lucky us," Eagle muttered. _

"_You've got company coming at you from your six 'o'clock," Red shouted. _

_Archangel could hear his feet pounding on the pavement, and knew he was running from the front exit to where they were._

"_I see them," Eagle said. _

_Archangel shoved Zach roughly up against the wall once, and then let him sink down onto the ground unconscious._

"_I count ten or eleven," she said as she got back-to-back with Eagle. _

_Eagle glanced at her, momentarily pausing to think about how warm her body was pressed against his in the cool night air. _

"_Winslow method?" he asked as Zach's "rescuers" got closer._

_Archangel smirked._

"_Can you think of any other way?"_

_The others attacked first, swinging wildly at the two teens. Eagle easily took the first three out, while Archangel leapt acrobatically into the air and landed lightly on one's back. One swift movement of her wrist and she had sliced the person's throat. His blood splashed onto her hand and covered her knife, but she didn't pause to think. She moved on to the next person. This one was expecting her, and he kicked at her. She blocked with her arm, and retaliated with two well-aimed punches to his face and throat. The man collapsed unconscious, and Archangel went for another. _

_Between her and Eagle, they managed to take out six of their attackers before Red came within firing range. Two shots rang through the night, alerting them to Red's presence._

_Someone kicked, hitting Archangel in the stomach. She staggered backwards before regaining her balance. She ducked as he kicked at her again, and then slid on the ground, knocking into him. He crashed onto the ground and she snapped his neck to the side. _

"_You don't use your knife much, do you?" Red asked._

"_I don't like to make messes," Archangel said as she displayed a rather impressive cartwheel- back flip sort of thing._

"_Do you like getting away from them, 'cause this mess just got a whole lot worse," Eagle said._

_Archangel turned and saw what Eagle was talking about: it was reinforcements coming to help their friends._

"_Actually, it looks like this time, I will get messy," she hissed._

_It took six minutes and thirty-one seconds; she counted._

"_My blade's all dirty now," Archangel complained._

"_Worry about that later," Eagle said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to a tall apartment building._

"_Rappelling cables attached and stable," Red said. _

"_Go ahead and drop them," Eagle said, "I got our little archangel."_

_The cable came down a moment later, and Eagle grabbed onto it._

"_Come on," he said to Archangel._

_She grabbed onto the cable with Eagle._

"_Let's go," he said to Red._

_Red pulled the cable up and they left the mess of dead and unconscious bodies behind._

* * *

_Wolffe shoved Jia roughly down into a chair._

"_What the hell was that?" he hissed._

"_That was me killing the mark," she said calmly._

_Wolffe slapped her across the face, causing her bottom lip to start bleeding. He grabbed her chin and roughly turned it to face him. He then slapped her again. Jia licked her lip, smearing the blood._

"_You pull a damn stunt like that again, you bitch, and I will make sure I make your ass burn," he growled._

_He struck her again, but she didn't fight back. She just sat and waited for it to be over._

_Eagle and Red stood behind Wolffe, watching him beat on Jia with their faces twisted into looks of pain. Jia was their partner, and since they were both older than her, they looked to her as a younger sister, and it killed them to see someone hurt her._

_Jia ended up on the floor while Wolffe pummeled her. Again, she didn't fight back. She just curled up, protecting her vital organs._

_Suddenly, the weight vanished off of her and she looked up to see Red and Eagle fighting Wolffe. _

"_No," she cried. "Stand down, guys, stand down."_

_Jia started to go over, but Eagle shoved her none-too-gently down an air duct. She tucked her head, and waited for the impact. It came, and she felt rattled for a moment. She stood up and started to walk around to the elevator, but was paused when she heard an explosion go off. Instinctively, she crouched under a desk to protect herself from falling objects. After a few moments of silence, she looked up and saw two bodies lying over the entrance to the air duct Eagle had pushed her down. _

_A third body was lying on the floor next to the desk she had taken shelter under. It was charred, but she could tell by the height that it was Wolffe. That would mean the two bodies upstairs were Red and Eagle._

_She screamed in fury and launched a pencil case at the air duct. It started shaking ominously, and then started to come down. As if on their own, her feet led her out of the crumbling building, and into the safety of the open night. She stumbled and fell into a creek, where she lay and watch as the rest of the building collapsed, hiding Red and Eagle from her forever._

* * *

Anakin and Obi-wan pulled out of Jia's mind and stared at her in horror. She was awake by now and was watching them in something that crossed between amusement and pity.

"Didn't you learn your lesson last time?" she asked.

Obi-wan sighed.

"You weren't giving us the answers we needed."

"And now you got the answers you didn't want," she said. She sighed and stared down at her blanket, fiddling with it. "I'm not an Angel of Mercy, a savior come to rescue all; I'm and Angel of Death."

Both Anakin and Obi-wan remained silent, waiting for her to continue. She did.

"You'd be best to keep your distance. As you saw, the ones who get too close, always end up dead."

* * *

_The words in bold are what Jia is actually saying to Red and Eagle, not Zach, just to clear up any confusion. The first two flashbacks are of different missions she was sent on, the third is what happens after Kayla and Gavin are killed and Jia kills the mark without Wolffe's permission. I sorta used this chapter to show two opposite sides of Jia: fun and playful, and dark and dirty. Please let me know what you think._


	11. Angel Of

_Sorry it took a little while to update. I went white water rafting, which was super fun, but this girl fell out of the raft and dragged me with her, and then wouldn't let go. That was not as fun as the rest of the trip, and blah, blah, blah. My spell check has stopped working on my laptop, so if there are more words misspelled than usual, sorry for that. I don't own Star Wars, and all that good stuff. And I think that's it. Enjoy._

**Angel Of...**

It took the two weeks Jia had estimated before Kix gave her the all clear. Most everyone on board the _Resolute_ found the conversations between the girl and the medic to be very amusing, since they usually consisted of:

"_Now_ can I go?"

"You asked that ten minutes ago."

"But I'm ten more minutes healed. I'm all good now."

"You can go when I say you can."

"But that's taking sooooo looooooong. Besides, you owe me for manipulating me."

"You _still_ aren't letting that go?"

"Nope."

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Only if you release me early."

"Not happening."

"Than no. Hey, I'm hungry. Can I go to the Mess?"

"That would involve me releasing you early."

"So it seems."

"Than no."

"You suck."

"Well, I'm not the one who let myself get shot."

"I was saving _your_ Captain."

"Huh, lucky me,"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I'm stuck with you for the next couple weeks."

"If you let me go early, you won't be."

"Yeah, too bad you take so long to heal."

"Hey! Fine, if you won't release me, I'll just find something else to do."

"Take a nap. You still seem really tired."

"I might."

"Huh, you're actually listening to me."

"Shut up."

"Just take your nap."

"I'm trying."

"Then why aren't you asleep?"

"Because _you_ keep talking to me."

"Well you keep responding."

"You annoy me."

"Ditto."

"Fine, I'm going to sleep."

"Took you long enough."

"Hmph."

As soon as she had been released, though, she had been running around, making friends with everyone and trying to annoy the Jedi as much as she could. Jia could tell that they were fond of her, though, despite their outward annoyance towards her.

The clones had quickly learned that she had no problem with physical contact, often visiting the injured. She would lay on the bed with them and talk. Sometimes, if she visited in the night hours, she would end up falling asleep lying next to a clone; often snuggling up next to them.

Another thing they had learned about Jia was that she was very acrobatic. Rex and Cody had walked into the gym on morning to find her doing different routines. They had just stood and watched as she went through the routines again and again, until they had it memorized. Then she had started practicing her hand-to-hand combat. They watched in shock as she jumped, kicked, punched, flipped, and twirled. And then she went back to her acrobatics.

"I thought only Jedi could do that," Cody muttered as he watched her jump and push off the wall, twisting herself in midair so she landed on her right shoulder, before rolling around to come into a crouching position.

"Obviously you were wrong," Rex said.

Finally she stopped, breathing heavy and glistening with sweat. Her hair was pulled back in a tight braid, and it swung around as she turned her head quickly to stare at the door Cody and Rex were behind.

"Krif, she knows we're here," Rex said.

"She probably knew all along," Cody pointed out.

"Guys, come on in," Jia called.

They hesitated before pushing open the door and stepping into the dimly lit gym.

"I didn't mean to keep you guys out. You should've come in and kicked me out," she said, sounding apologetic.

"It's fine. We, uh, actually enjoyed, uh, watching you," Rex said awkwardly.

Jia just laughed and kissed them both quickly on the cheek.

"Well, the gym's all yours now," she said as she exited.

They both just stood there in shock.

* * *

Ahsoka had seen the entire exchange and she walked swiftly to her quarters. She sat down, trying to meditate and push away her anger, but it didn't do much good. There was a soft knock on her door.

"Go away," she muttered.

The door slid open and Jia stepped through it.

"Not happening," she said.

Ahsoka just ignored her.

"I know you saw the entire conversation in the gym," Jia started, "but it's not what you think."

Ahsoka whirled around, anger blazing in her blue eyes before she could control herself.

"Oh, really?" she snapped.

Jia just watched her with a look of amusement and disbelief.

"Girl, he is head over heels crazy for you," she said to the angry Padawan. "I mean, have you _seen_ the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is looking?"

Ahsoka paused at that.

"What?" she asked.

Jia sat down on the edge of Ahsoka's bunk, and, after some hesitation, Ahsoka came and sat next to her.

"Oh, don't tell me you haven't seen it," Jia said, sounding scandalized. "The way he looks at you and acts around you. His body language; he's always trying to show off for you. It would take more than a girl like me to draw his attention away from you."

"But, you kissed him," Ahsoka said dumbly.

Jia shruggd.

"It's a custom to kiss all your friends on the cheek where my mom came from. She passed that along to me, it seems."

Ahsoka remained silent, embarrassed that she had let her emotions get the better of her and jumped to conclusions.

"Sorry," she apologized to Jia.

Jia smiled, and then planted a big wet kiss on Ahsoka's cheek. Ahsoka squealed in surprise and disgust, and turned on Jia, but she was already out the door. Ahsoka leapt up and chased after her.

"That was _not_ funny," she called to Jia.

She heard Jia's laughter in response as the girl rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. Ahsoka put on a burst of speed, and ran around the corner, only to pull herself to a sudden stop to keep from crashing into everyone.

Jia was standing with a sheepish look on her face next to Admiral Yularen, Anakin, and Obi-wan.

"And what might you two be doing?" Obi-wan asked.

Ahsoka froze at the question, but Jia spoke right up.

"Ahsoka was chasing me."

"I can see that," Obi-wan said. He remained silent, waiting for either one of them to elaborate, but Jia just stared up at him with an innocent smile on her face, and Ahsoka copied the look.

When they didn't respond, he opened his mouth to ask them another question, but Jia said quickly, "You know what, I'm hungry. See you later."

And she shot off down the hall, followed closely by Ahsoka.

* * *

"We attack here and here, and hopefully wipe out their forces in these areas," Anakin said, pointing to two different locations on the holo-map of the planet.

"It won't work, you know," Jia said, startling everybody.

No one had heard her enter the room.

"And what makes you say that?" Anakin asked, sounding insulted.

"These areas are heavily fortified and guarded," she said, walking over to the map. "You'll barely make it through alive, and if you do, your casualties will be, like, ginormous." She pointed to two totally different areas of the map. "It would be best to land here, and then hike it to the attack areas."

"That would take days and wear down the men," Anakin contradicted.

"You would be able to sneak in undetected, and you would win the fight even if your guys were tired," Jia said. Something in her voice told everyone she had witnessed the outcome of a plan like Anakin's before.

"It would take too long," Anakin said, over-pronunciating every word. "We don't have that time."

"It would save lives," Jia snapped.

"You're an assassin," Anakin shot back. "It shouldn't matter to you."

Jia stared at him with eyes wide with shock and disbelief; and then pain flashed through her eyes. And Ashoka swore she saw tears in the girl's eyes before she spun on her heel and exited the room. Anakin stared after her in shock as if he couldn't believe what he had just said, but then he turned back to the map.

"We do it my way," he said.

* * *

"Ahh, so you are the mysterious "Angel"," the Supreme Chancellor said.

Jia had privately contacted him, hacking into the communications channel on Coruscant from her ship.

"Yes, Mister Chancellor Sir," she said respectfully.

The man seemed gentle and nice enough, but Jia could read people, and she saw something in him, some twitch or blink, that sent her shields up.

"And what is the problem of which you contacted me about?" he asked.

"It's about General Skywalker, Sir," Jia said, keeping her gaze lowered and her posture submissive.

It made her feel sick to lower herself to such a level, but she had to gain the respect and favor of the Chancellor to be able to break the laws without getting in trouble.

"General Skywalker is a good general, my dear," the Chancellor said gently.

"I understand that, Sir, but I don't think he gets how severe the consiquinces of his actions are," Jia said.

"What do you mean?" the Chancellor asked.

"Some of his plans are erratic and poorly thought out," Jia said. "He gets the job done, but at the price of many lives of his men."

"They are only clones, young one," the Chancellor tried to soothe. "They were bred to serve and die for the Republic."

"But, Sir, they are still living beings," Jia protested.

"Dear one, would you please look up," Chancellor Palpatine said.

Jia raised her eyes, but kept her posture submissive.

"I understand that this is hard for you to understand, but we are not on your planet anymore, and these men were made for the sole purpose of fighting, and nothing more," he told her.

"I… understand, Sir," Jia murmured.

"What is the plan you would have proposed?" the Chancellor asked.

Jia looked at him in surprise, but then she proceeded to explain her plan to him.

"Dear young one, you are thinking like the assassin you are, not a General in the GAR," he pointed out.

Jia nodded.

"I am sorry for wasting your time, Sir," she said, dismissing herself and turning to cut the connection.

"You did not waste my time," the Chancellor said, making her pause. "I am glad I got the chance to talk to you. Do not try to get to the surface of the planet and join the battle, though. I am planning on having all charges against you dropped, but if you go to join this battle, I will personally see to it that you are found and brought to court."

Jia knew he was testing her, and that he expected her to go down to the planet. She wasn't going to be manipulated by him, though. She would obey him for the moment, even if it meant sacrificing some lives. If she stayed out of jail, hopefully she could save more.

"Yes, Mister Chancellor Sir, and thank you."

She cut the connection and sank back into the chair she was sitting in. She walked into her bedroom, and grabbed her notebook out of a hidden compartment in the wall.

She flipped through it until she came to the next blank page. She sat and stared at the blank page for a while, and then she began to draw. She didn't know what she was drawing, she just let the pencil dance across the page.

It turned out to be the face of a little girl. At first she thought it was Lavinia, but then she saw the shape of the eyes and the placement of the cheek bones were different. And this drawn girl had a different smile than Lavinia. But she had the same curls and young face. It hurt Jia's heart to look at the picture, but she kept it. She knew it would turn out to be one of her favorite pictures in a couple of months.

She sighed and placed the notebook to the side. She curled up on her bed, trying to push down the flood of emotions threatening to escape.

_They're only clones_, the Chancellor's voice rung in her ears. She clenched her fist and had to restrain herself from breaking something. Deciding it was safest for her in the gym, she slowly crawled out of her bed. She slowly walked towards the gym, taking care to avoid any place she knew Anakin might possibly be. She did run into Ahsoka, though.

"Jia," she cried. "I'm so sorry about my Master. He didn't mean what he said, he was just-"

Jia didn't hear the rest. She ran at full speed in a random direction, not paying attention. She ended up in front of the medbay. She opened the door, and fell against it as it slid shut. She closed her eyes as she sank to the floor.

"Jia?" she heard a worried voice ask.

"He's right," she groaned to whoever it was. "I am an assassin, and I shouldn't care. It makes me weak."

Strong arms wrapped around her and picked her up off the floor. She was set on an empty bed, and a blanket was thrown over her. She finally opened her eyes and saw Kix staring at her in concern.

"I shouldn't care," she repeated painfully.

Kix ran his hand over her forehead, gently massaging away lines of agony that creased her forehead.

"But you do," he said.

"It makes me weak," she groaned.

"It makes you different," Kix argued with her.

She took a deep shuddering breath and sat up.

"You know, you shouldn't argue with me," she said. "I always win."

Kix raised his eyebrows.

"Realy? Because I managed to get you to stay in the medbay until you were fully healed."

"I was injured," Jia defended.

Kix just continued to regard her with raised eyebrows and she sighed and shook her head.

"Whatever, I was going to the gym," Jia said, sliding off the bed.

"How did you end up here?" Kix asked.

"I ran into Ahsoka and then I just… ran," Jia said.

"You run a lot," Kix commented.

Jia narrowed her eyes at him, but he had gotten used to that trick and remained unfazed.

"Just go," Kix said, shoving her towards the door.

"Well, love ya too," Jia snorted sarcastically.

Kix just rolled his eyes and continued to push her towards the door.

"Bye," he said, sliding the door shut in her face.

Jia put her hands on her hips and glared at the door. Then she shrugged and turned to go to the gym.

* * *

Jia spent most of the time in the gym, working her anger out on the different mats and walls. She only left to sleep, eat, and shower. Sometimes she would go up to the bridge for an update, but that was it.

The battle lasted four days, sixteen hours, thirty-nine minutes, and seventeen seconds. She kept it recorded in her notebook, along with every other mission and fight she had recorded. Finally, Kix came to inform her that everyone was returning.

She walked with him to the hangar, keeping a stony silence the entire way. Kix kept his distance, not wanting to provoke her when she was already so angry. They entered the hangar, and Jia immediately went towards where Ahsoka was stumbling exhaustedly out of a gunship.

"'Soka," Jia called.

Ahsoka looked up, and tried to smile in greeting, but it turned out more like a grimace.

"How'd it go?" Jia asked when she got closer to the Padawan.

"Exactly like you said it would," Ahsoka said. "We did win, but we lost so many men."

Jia turned to glare at Anakin through narrowed eyes. As if sensing her gaze, he turned around. She shot him a look of disgust, slightly shaking her head in disbelief. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but Jia turned back to Ahsoka before he could get a word out.

"How many were injured?" she asked.

"A lot. They're all in those gunships there," Ahsoka said, pointing towards multiple gunships that were surrounded by clones.

Jia ran over and pushed her way through. She saw that all the gunships were full of men on stretchers and being supported by their brothers.

"Oh my God," she said, her brow creasing in agony.

She spotted one trooper that looked like he was dead, and walked over to him. She placed her fingers on his neck, and felt a slight pulse.

"Trooper," she said, leaning over him. "Trooper!"

He slowly opened his eyes and stared at her in confusion.

"Listen to me," Jia said, bending down so she spoke directly into his ear. "You keep breathing, and I will make sure you stay alive."

"It- hurts," he managed to gasp out between his labored breathing.

"I know it does, and I know you want nothing more than to close your eyes and go to sleep, but don't do that," Jia said; but even as she was speaking, his eyes started drifting shut.

"Trooper!" she snapped.

His eyes fluttered back open, and she leaned down even closer so her lips brushed his ear.

"Keep breathing," she said in the low voice she used to get even some of the more powerful people to listen to her. "That is an order."

He opened his mouth to speak again, but she placed two fingers over his lips, silencing him.

"Don't try to speak, just do what I tell you. Blink once if you understand, twice if you don't."

The clone was still for a long moment, and then he blinked once.

"Good," Jia said.

She kissed him on the cheek, and then moved on to the next clone. She was making her way through the men on stretchers, telling them all similar things, when she came across Rex.

"Rex," she said.

When he didn't respond, she smacked him on the back of the head. His eyes shot open, and he struggled to sit up.

"Easy now," Jia said, pushing him back down.

Rex stared at her in confusion, and then his eyes fluttered shut.

"So tired," he murmured.

Jia smacked him again.

"Don't you dare," she hissed. "Don't you dare die on Ahsoka. She needs you."

Rex's eyes shot back open at that, and he stared at Jia in horror.

"Yes, I know, and frankly I don't care," she said. "But you need to keep yourself alive for her. She needs you as much as you need her. Don't you dare die."

Rex continued to look at Jia in horror, but then he nodded.

"Good soldier," Jia said.

She stood back up straight and turned to glare at Anakin again. He was watching her, and as soon as she looked up, started making his way towards her.

She just shook her head again and grabbed onto Rex's stretcher, pulling it with her as she left the hangar.

* * *

Jia found herself in the gym again, punching and kicking. She slid out her knife at one point, and started practicing with that. She gritted her teeth as she fell and the knife sliced into the back of her hand. Blood started dripping down her hand, but she ignored it and went back to practicing.

Suddenly, hands grabbed her wrist, and she bucked back out of instinct. She heard a quiet 'oof' as her head connected with someones chest.

"Jia, calm down," a voice said. It was the one voice she didn't want to hear.

"Go away, Anakin," she hissed, jerking out of his grasp.

"Not until you let me talk to you," he said.

She whirled around and glared at him.

"So you can hurt me more? So you can tell me that I'm an assassin? So you can tell me that what I am is harmful to people?" she yelled.

"So I can apologize," Anakin said, flinching away from her.

"I don't want an apology from you," Jia hissed.

She started to turn back around, when Anakin spotted the blood.

"Why the hell are you bleeding?" he asked.

Jia ground her teeth.

"I cut myself while practicing, now go away."

"I won't take you to see Kix if you let me talk," Anakin argued.

Jia stood with her arms crossed, but then she gave a noise of relentment.

"I didn't mean what I said," Anakin started. "I was just annoyed with you, and jealous that you might possibly know more about leading an army than I do."

"Oh, and that justify's what you said?" Jia asked.

"No, but that's why I said it, and I'm sorry," Anakin said.

Jia narrowed her eyes and studied him. His eyes were sincere, and he held her gaze evenly. A liar wouldn't be able to do that.

"Fine, but you still aren't forgiven," she said, turning around.

She heard a sigh, and then retreating footsteps as she went back to practicing.

* * *

Jia landed her ship near Lylla's apartment. She knew Lylla wouldn't be there, but she didn't care. She hopped on the back of some random speeder as it passed by, surprising the driver. Before he could say anything, though, she was gone. Hopping from speeder to speeder, she managed to make her way to the Senate Building.

"We need to see your identification," some man in blue armor said, as she landed on a platform.

"No you don't," she argued with him.

"Ma'am, we need to see some sort of identification," he repeated.

"No, you don't," Jia said again.

She activated a thermal detonater behind her back, and then threw it into an empty speeder. The explosion was far enough away that it didn't kill anybody, but it was a big enough distraction that she was able to slip inside.

Turning her ear comm onto the frequency that the men in blue were using, she listened as orders and updates flew back and forth. She heard her description being sent out over the comms, and knew that all the blue people in the building would be looking for her. _Much like on the Resolute,_ she thought.

She eventually made her way to the Chancellor's office. She slipped inside without him noticing, and crouched in the shadows. She waited until his back was turned and then she sliently sank into one of the chairs.

The Chancellor turned back around, and started at the sight of her.

"Hi, Mister Chancellor Sir," Jia said.

"My dear, you scared me," the Chancellor said, sitting down in his chair.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jia apologized. "It's just, I seem to have pissed off your guards or whatever they are, so I had to get in here without getting caught."

"What did you do this time, young one?" the Chancellor asked in amusement.

"I exploded a speeder," Jia said nonchalantly. "But don't worry. No one was in or near it, so no one got hurt."

"That would get them angry," the Chancellor said, chuckling softly. "And what can I do for you?"

"I want to be part of your security team next time you go someplace," Jia said. "According to your schedule, you have a ceremony to attend on Naboo in a couple of days, and I would like to go."

"As my body guard?" the Chancellor asked.

"Or just part of your guard," Jia said.

The Chancellor looked thoughtful, but then he said, "My dear, I'm not sure you are cut out for that type of job."

"Chancellor," Jia said, dead seriousness in her voice. "_I am an assassin._ I know how to fight and kill. But the people I killed weren't good people; I was trained to hunt down and kill terrorists. I kill the bad people. I am a trained sniper and martial artist. I know how to use just about anything around me as a weapon. I can do it. Besides, General Skywalker will be there, and I want to prove to him I know what I'm doing."

"But how do I know I can trust you?" the Chancellor asked after a moment of silence.

Jia understood his hesitance, respected it even. It proved the Chancellor was a smart man.

"You don't," she said after a moments pause. "That's why it's called trust."

* * *

"I've got 360 view on the Chancellor," Jia said into the comm.

She hadn't bothered to learn the names of the guys in the blue armor, and they found that just fine. They weren't exactly very fond of her.

"Are you sure you don't see anything?" the voice crackled in her ear.

"Honey, if I saw anything suspicious, you would know already because they would be dead already," Jia sighed.

"Just keep watching," the voice ordered.

"Because I would just happen to be doing something else," Jia muttered.

She was lying on her stomach on the top of the building overlooking the place the ceremony was taking place. Senators Padme Amidala, Bail Organa, and Rio Chuchi were also attending the ceremony, and Jia was keeping watch on them out of the corner of her eye.

Some man in blue had given her a rifle and told her to take the sniper's position. It had taken a little time, but she finally had managed to get into a position where she could lay comfortably and be able to watch the Senators and the Chancellor.

She was using some sort of binocular things to search the crowd, along with her laptop which was running scans on everyone and identifying them. So far, three ex-cons, one black market dealer, and someone hiding a creepy animal monster looking thing had tried to get into the ceremony.

"Hold on," Jia said, zooming in on a man that was walking with his head down. "Male, head down, long coat colored black, height: aproxomitely six feet, looks to have a side arm on his left side."

"We see him," a man in blue said. "Good work, rookie."

"I'm not really a rookie when I'm that good, am I?" Jia shot back.

Her computer started beeping, and Jia turned her attention to that.

"He's a hit man for hire," Jia said, quickly scanning what her laptop was scrolling through. "His name is Shan Ackley, and he is wanted in almost every system. Man, this person is a bad dude."

"Stop talking anytime you like," someone grumbled.

"You know, it was my talking that alerted you to the fact that this man-," Jia broke off as her laptop started beeping at her again.

"That this man what?" the person snapped.

"Is here to make sure no one leaves alive," Jia said, her voice getting dark. "This man is here as a suicide bomber."

* * *

"Evacuate everyone immediately," the man in charge snapped. "Get the Senators out of here!"

"I got him," Jia said as she locked in on her target. "Let's just hope he doesn't have a dead man's switch."

"A what?" someone snapped.

"Nothing," Jia snapped. "You worry about your job, I'll worry about mine."

"Your job is to protect the Chancellor," he hissed.

"And that's what I'm doing," Jia retorted.

She pulled the trigger.

"Only one shot?" he asked incredulously.

"It's a head shot, you jackass," Jia said.

Everyone watched as the bomber went down in a pool of blood.

"Now, get everyone out of here," Jia ordered, taking charge. "I'll get the Chancellor."

She threw all her gear into her backpack, and then leapt off the roof.

"You idiot," someone hissed. "You'll get yourself killed."

"I know what I'm doing," Jia shot back.

She landed on a ledge without a sound, and then leapt off and onto another ledge, getting to the ground in less than a minute. By that time, the only people who were left was the person in charge of the men in blue, and the Chancellor.

"Go, I'll cover the Chancellor," Jia ordered the man.

"I am not leaving, _girl_. Just because you got one lucky shot doesn't mean you know how to defend someone as powerful as the Chancellor," the man said.

"And apparently, just because you're in charge doesn't mean you aren't a total bastard," Jis retorted.

The man opened his mouth to snap back, but was stopped by a shot in the heart. Jia watched in wide eyes as he fell against her, went limp in her arms, and then knocked them both onto the ground. It was just like Cody's death and she found herself frozen with horror and her mind couldn't function.

"Give me your weapons," a female voice hissed.

Jia slowly stood up and turned around. It was a woman of an alien species. She had purple looking skin and bright pink eyes that gave Jia shivers down her spine. Her voice reminded Jia of a snake, and she found herself feeling like a mouse right before the snake eats it.

Slowly, she swung her backpack around so she could take out the rifle. She disassembled it and dropped it piece-by-piece onto the ground.

"_All_ your weapons," she hissed.

Jia held her hands up.

"That's the only wepon I have," Jia lied.

The woman glared at her, and then grabbed the Chancellor.

"He comes with me," she snarled.

"No, he doesn't," Jia argued.

The woman stared at her in surprise as Jia lowered her hands and flipped out her blade.

* * *

"The Chancellor is in danger," Ahsoka cried as she ran towards her Master and Obi-wan.

"What?" Anakin asked.

"Jia was supposed to be on protection duty for him, but something happened, and she hasn't checked in," Ahsoka explained in a rush.

Anakin and Obi-wan were already jumping into a speeder.

"Stay here, Snips," Anakin called over his shoulder as the zoomed away.

"Where are they supposed to be?" Obi-wan asked Anakin.

"I don't know," Anakin said. "I'm driving; you figure it out."

"At the ceremony," Obi-wan said after thinking for a moment. "Of course, they're probably still there."

"Took you long enough," Anakin muttered as he swung the speeder around a corner.

"I would get a lot more done if you would stop insulting me," Obi-wan pointed out.

"Interesting," Anakin said in a tone that sounded disinterested.

They pulled up to the courtyard where the ceremony had been, and stopped the speeder. They jumped out and ignited their lightsabers, holding them at ready.

"I don't see them," Obi-wan murmured.

"No, really?" Anakin hissed back.

Obi-wan remained silent after that, tired of fighting with his former Padawan. They crept around the courtyard, listening for any sound in the deathly silence.

"This isn't right," Anakin muttered. "It's too quiet."

"Shh," Obi-wan hissed.

"Well, it's tru-," Anakin was cut off as Obi-wan smacked his hand over his mouth.

Anakin became quiet, and suddenly heard what his former Master must have heard. It was the sound of someone throwing up.

The ran around the corner, expecting a fight, but instead saw Jia kneeling over the dead body of an alien woman, and the Chancellor bent over, emptying his stomach. It took them both a moment to see why.

The scene was horrific: Jia had stabbed the woman in the stomach before she had slit her throat, and the woman's inards were spilling out of the wound. Jia was covered the the woman's blood, and the smell was horrible.

"Are you okay, Chancellor?" Jia asked, standing up and helping the Chancellor up from his bent position.

"Yes, my dear, just a bit shaken," he answered.

"Chancellor, Jia," Anakin called.

They both turned around to look at Anakin, and he started walking towards them.

"What the hell happened?" he asked.

"I killed that woman," Jia said bluntly.

Her eyes were haunted and her voice was hollow.

"She was going to try and kidnap the Chancellor, and I…. killed her."

"My dear, you had no choice," the Chancellor tried to soothe.

"I could have just knocked her unconscious and then you guys could have taken her into custody," Jia said. "But something just snapped and I killed her."

She turned to Anakin and Obi-wan, her eyes full of pain and self-loathing.

"I just killed someone," she repeated.

"You have before," Anakin pointed out.

"And why do you think I hate myself so much?" Jia asked him. "Why do you think I have started trying to save lives, instead of take them?"

"You saved my life," the Chancellor pointed out.

But Jia didn't seem to hear him. She just stared at the bloody body and then hung her head. Anakin had never seen her so weak, not even when she was injured.

"You did the right thing," he said.

"Killing is never right," Jia responded in a dull voice.

"Jia, listen to me," the Chancellor said, startling everyone. "You just saved my life. If not for you, who knows what would have happened to me. I am in your debt."

At that, Jia started to act a little more like herself.

"Well, you could figure out what I can do in the galaxy. It gets very boring living with Anakin and Obi-wan, no matter how hard that is to believe," Jia said, her eyes starting to light back up.

The Chancellor chuckled; "I will start thinking about it."

Jia smiled, but then her smile faltered.

"What's wrong?" Anakin asked.

"Have you ever killed anyone?" Jia asked.

The Jedi looked at each other, and then shook their heads. Jia nodded.

"You never forget it," she said. "I remember everyone that has died because of me. The color of their eyes, their last words, what food was on their breath, which ones deserved it and which ones didn't, what they were wearing, how old they were. I remember everything, but I have never lost a nights sleep over someone's death, except my family's."

She paused, and all Anakin, Obi-wan, and the Chancellor could see she was trying to decide whether to tell them something or not.

"That has changed, though," she said finally.

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked.

"Never has anyone's death weighed on my conscious, until now," Jia said.

She was silent as she let them all work it out for themselves.

"You don't even know her," Anakin said. "She was going to hurt the Chancellor; it was justified."

Jia stared at him, her blue eyes so dark they looked black. Anakin realized he had said something that he shouldn't have, and he watched her carefully.

"Killing someone is never justified," she told him, speaking carefully to make sure he heard each word. "That is a dangerous mindset for you to have, General."


	12. Mini Hims

_I kind of took a lttle different path in this chapter. If you don't like it, tell me, and I will change it. I don't own Star Wars, blah, blah, blah. Oh, spellcheck is still screwed up on my laptop, so I'm betting there are some misspelled words somewhere in here. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what I mean._

**Mini Hims **

"Jia, wake up," Ahsoka said quietly.

Jia snapped awake and sat up.

"What's up?" she asked, stifiling a yawn.

"The Chancellor just contacted Master Skywalker; he's figured out what he wants you to do," Ahsoka said.

Jia slid off her bunk and stretched. She shook her head, sending her hair flying, and blinked the sleep out of her eyes.

"It's, like, the middle of the night," she complained to Ahsoka.

"I know," Ahsoka said. "Sorry bout that."

She looked at Jia and added, "You might want to change."

Jia looked down at her outfit. She was in her pajamas which consisted of loose, thin, grey sweatpants, and an orange shirt with a butterfly on it. The shirt was a little small, but the neckline was big, so it slid down on her shoulders and didn't come down to her pantline.

"Why?" she asked, looking back up at Ahsoka.

"You are on a ship with a bunch of _men_," Ahsoka said.

"I know that. But I can take care of myself, even if I am in my pjs," Jia said. "Now, go show me what you woke me up for."

Ahsoka sighed and led her up to the bridge, where Anakin, Obi-wan, Rex, and Cody were all waiting.

"Why'd you have Ahsoka wake me up in the middle of the night?" Jia demanded before they could say anything.

"The Chancellor just contacted us to inform us of your assignment," Anakin said.

"Ugh, so it's an assignment?" Jia asked. "I never have like assignments."

"Off topic," Anakin said, refraining from rolling his eyes.

"Okay, Mr. Jedi, so what am I going to be doing on my "assignment"," Jia asked.

"The Chancellor was rather impressed with your fighting skills, and he would like you to teach some of the clones some of your techniques," Obi-wan said, joining the conversation.

Jia shrugged.

"Okay," she said. She turned to Rex. "Hey, Rex, I'll start teaching you tomorrow."

She turned to walk out of the bridge, but Ahsoka said, "Not these clones."

Jia paused mid-step and turned around.

"Than which clones?" she asked suspiciously.

"The Chancellor has talked it over with the Jedi Council, and they would like you to go to Kamino and spend three months training some of the cadets there," Anakin told her. "If it goes well, they might have you stay longer."

Jia stared at him, her eyes slowly widening as he spoke. She made many faces, but settled on indignant.

"No," she said. "There is no way in hell I'm training mini hims." She hooked a thumb in the general direction of Rex and Cody.

"From what we've heard, they're actually going to be full grown and close to completeing their training," Cody said.

"Oh, that just makes this whole thing even better, don't it?" Jia said sarcastically. "I mean, if they treat me like the way I was treated here at first, I am not going to enjoy it over there."

"Hey," Anakin said. "We've been nice to you."

Jia turned to give him an incredulous look.

"You locked me in an interrogation cell," she reminded him.

"Well, you got out, so it's not like locking you in there did any good," Rex pointed out.

Jia spun on him, her long hair flying out and hitting Anakin in the face.

"Ouch," he muttered as her hair whipped him. She ignored him.

"I am not training mini yous," she repeated.

"They aren't going to be mini," Rex pointed out.

Jis rolled her eyes, and snapped, "Whatever. The point is, I am not training cadets."

"Why not?" Cody asked.

"Because you guys have bounty hunters to do that," Jia said.

"How'd you know that?" Ahsoka asked.

"I hacked into everything the moment I arrived in this galaxy. I know just about everything about just about everyone," Jia explained with a huff.

"Okay, well, you're going," Anakin said. "We drop you off there in two days."

"And if I don't want to?" Jia asked.

"The Jedi Council has pretty much ordered you to," Anakin told her.

"I don't really give a two shit about what your little council has ordered and what they haven't," Jia snapped. "I. Am. Not. Training. Mini. Hims."

"They aren't mini," everyone said in unison.

"Whatever," Jia retorted. Then she paused. "Sorry, I get really bitchy when I haven't had my sleep. I'll tell you what: you let me go back to sleep, and we try this again in the morning."

With that, she turned and left the bridge.

* * *

Jia padded groggily down to the Mess Hall, yawning. When she got there, she saw Ahsoka waiting for her.

"You slept in later than usual," she commented.

"Gee, I wonder why that is," Jia said, looking pointedly at Ahsoka.

"Hey, you said you weren't bitchy when you had your sleep," Ahsoka said.

Jia just shrugged and sat on the table, facing Ahsoka.

"Okay, so let's try this again," Ahsoka said. "The Chancellor and the Jedi Council has decided that you're going to be helping train cadets for three months."

She held her breath as she waited for Jia's reaction. The girl seemed mellower this morning, and she hoped it would help with the way she reacted to the news.

"Still no way in hell you're going to get me to train mini thems," she said, nodding at the clones in the Mess Hall.

"They aren't mini," Ahsoka said, joined by Rex and Cody who had walked into the Mess to get their breakfast.

"What. Ever," Jia said.

She lay back on the table, her head in between two trays of food. The clones who were eating the food looked at each other, and then at her.

"Oh, hey," she said to them from her sort-of-upside-down position. "How's it going?"

Used to her comments and what-not by now, they just sighed and went back to eating.

"How can you guys eat that crap?" Jia asked.

"You just get used to it," Cody said as he sat down next to Ahsoka.

"I don't think I ever could," Jia muttered.

"You know, now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen you eat," Rex said.

"That's cause I make my own food, and eat on my ship," Jia said.

"Are you allowed to do that?" Ahsoka asked.

Jia shrugged; "I don't know. And if I'm not, oh well."

"Your impossible," Ahsoka said, rolling her eyes.

"No, I'm just stubborn," Jia argued.

"And annoying," Cody muttered playfully.

Jia looked at him in pretend shock, and then grabbed a handful of food off a random tray and flung it at Cody before he knew what was going on. The food splattered onto Cody's face with a satisfying 'splat' sound. Jia squealed as Cody made a grab for her, and launched herself up from her laying down position so she landed in a crouch on the other side of the table. Cody threw food back at her, but she side-stepped and it hit Boil, who was just entering.

Natuarlly, Boil grabbed some food and flung it back at Cody, who ducked. It ended up hitting Ahsoka, and everyone froze as the waited for her reaction.

"Oh, it's on," she hissed playfully.

She stood up on the bench, grabbed food in both hands, and launched one at Boil and one at Waxer, who had followed his brother unknowingly into a battle zone.

"What the hell?" Waxer asked as food splattered all over him.

The laughter of Jia and Ahsoka was his answer and he grabbed food from the nearest tray and flung it at his CO. Jia smiled, and exchanged a nod with Ahsoka, and they both grabbed a full tray of food and flung it at random. Jia managed to hit Jesse, Harcase, and Kix in one throw, while Ahsoka got Trapper, Fives, and Echo.

Rex had a handful of food, and her threw it at the back of the Padawan. She shrieked as food got all over her. She spun around and turned another tray of food over on his head. Some got on Cody, too, since she had to reach over him to get the Captain.

Jia crouched in a corner and watched as chaos started unfolding. Suddenly, she got a face full of food as someone threw the sludge directly at her.

"Oh, not cool," she growled, but there was a smile in her voice.

She flipped a table onto its side and used it to duck behind as more food was thrown her way.

"Mind if I join you?" a clone asked.

"As long as you don't throw any of this crap at me," Jia answered.

She studied him for along moment.

"You look familiar," she said.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm Skipper. You've visited me in the medbay."

Jia smiled and said, "I remember you now."

Skipper snorted and rolled his eyes, but a smile was playing on his lips.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked.

"There's two of us, and a bunch of them. And Ahsoka might decide to join us, so don't hit her," Jia mused out loud. "I say we cover each others backs until they surrender. Or we get more people."

Skipper smiled.

"That's not much of a plan, but it'll work."

Jia nodded.

"Ready? Let's go."

She jumped up, grabbed a tray, loaded it with food, and handed it to Skipper. Then she grabbed one for herself, and they made their way back to their little shield. More tables had been flipped onto their sides, offering protection from the flying grey sludge.

"'Soka," Jia called, "Get over here. We'll cover you."

Ahsoka nodded, and ran over to where Jia and Skipper were, ducking as food was thrown at her head.

"You know, we're going to get in so much trouble," Ahsoka yelled over the noise of the food fight.

"Oh well," Jia yelled back.

"Skipper, on your left," Ahsoka called to the clone.

He ducked as food flew towards him, and Ahsoka threw food in retaliation. It hit the clone, who turned out to be Kix. Jia took one look at him covered in food, and bursted out laughing. He narrowed his eyes at her, and then charged towards her. She squealed and ran from him, pushing past some clones and hiding behind others.

"What is going on in here?" a voice boomed.

Everyone froze, and turned to see Admiral Yularen stalking into the now-food-covered Mess Hall.

"Admiral," Jia said, stepping out to talk to him.

He took one look at her food-covered form, and then closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It was you, wasn't it?" he asked.

"Sort of," Jia said sheepishly. "Well, you see, Cody said I was annoying, so I threw food at him, and then he tried to throw food at me, but missed and hit Boil instead, and then-"

She was cut off by the Admiral, who held up his hand and said, "I don't want to hear about it."

* * *

"You know, it's a good thing you're getting sent to Kamino right about now," Anakin said as he watched Jia pack.

They weren't exactly friends, but she had managed to forgive him enough to have a conversation with him and tolerate his presence.

"And why's that?" Jia asked as she threw more clothes into her suitcase.

"Obi-wan and I aren't very happy at what you did in the Mess Hall, but we can't punish you if you're on Kamino," he explained.

Jia turned around to look at him.

"Don't blame Ahsoka; it was all me. My fault entirely," she said.

Anakin looked at her, watching her carefully. Her words from the courtyard still haunted him, as did the look that she had had in her eyes when she had told him that.

"You would make a good Jedi," he said after a moment.

Jia snorted.

"Yeah, except for the part where I kill people and get really angry and hateful," she said, turning back around to finish packing.

"Yeah, except for that," Anakin agreed.

Jia zipped up her suitcase and picked it up.

"Need help with that?" Anakin asked.

"Ever heard of the "if it's your crap, carry it"?" Jia asked him. He shook his head and she said, "Well, my parents were firm believers of that so it's kind of habit by now."

Jia lugged her suitcase down the halls and to her ship, where she found Ahsoka waiting for her.

"Geez, people," Jia said, throwing her suitcase onto the floor of her ship. "I'm going to Kamino for three months, not some dark, dirty place for the rest of my life!"

"Well, we're gonna miss you," Ahsoka said.

"You've only known me for a month," Jia said as she started prepping her ship for detachment from the _Resolute_.

"So?" Ahsoka asked.

Jia sighed, and then hugged Ahsoka.

"Just, I don't know, have some more food fights while I'm gone, and you won't be so sad," she said. "And come visit me if you want. I'm sure I'm not going to be having the most fun in my life."

Ahsoka laughed.

"You'll just have to tell me all about it."

"Oh, I definitely will," Jia said.

"Hey, I think everyone wants to say bye," Ahsoka told Jia, starting to drag her back to the _Resolute._

"I don't have the time," Jia said. "I'll just contact you guys tonight, 'kay?"

Ahsoka huffed and Jia shrugged apologetically.

"Well, bye, 'Soka," Jia said, gently pushing Ahsoka back into the hallway of the _Resolute_.

"Hey," Ahsoka objected as Jia slid the door closed in her face.

Jia smiled smugly, and waved at Ahsoka. In response, Ahsoka stuck her tongue out like a five-year-old, causing Jia to laugh.

Ahsoka watched as Jia turned away from the door, and walked into the cockpit of her ship. She sighed and turned, walking slowly back to her quarters.

* * *

Jia stared at the planet as she descended onto its surface. It was made completely of ocean, and rain was pouring down from dark grey storm clouds.

"This looks lovely," she muttered sarcastically as she landed on a platform.

Not bothering to get any rain gear on, she exited her ship, and walked towards the door that the platform led to. The rain quickly soaked her to skin, causing her clothing to stick to her.

"Wonderful," she sighed, as she stepped through the door.

She was met by a pale-skinned, long-necked, big-eyed, tall being.

"I need to see an identification," it said.

Jia guessed it was female from the clothing and the softness of the voice.

"Sorry, don't have one," she said, shrugging. "Assassin 101: never carry anything that can be used to identify you."

The thing just looked at her, and she sighed.

"I need to see General Ti," Jia said.

"Come this way," the thing said, turning to lead Jia down the hall.

Jia followed, mentally mapping out the course she was taking. She also used the little tour to look around at some of the facility. She quickly decided that she hated it. First off, there was that annoying white light, that bounced of the annoying white walls and floor, that blended in with the annoying grey of everything else. Oh yeah, she definitely hated this place and she hadn't even been here for ten minutes.

"Please wait here," the thing said, leading her into a small room with a circular chair that hung from the ceiling.

It reminded Jia of the egg chair she used to have in her room, except this chair was white (of course), not blue. She went and sat down in it, immediately sinking into the plush cushion. She blew out a raspberry, wishing she had brought her notebook or laptop or _something._ Well, she did have her knife, but throwing her knife at the wall while she waited for a Jedi General did not seem like the best way to make a first impression.

So she sat, and waited, and waited some more, and sat some more. Until, thirty minutes and nine seconds later (she counted), someone who looked like an older version of Ahsoka walked into the room. Jia figured it was probably the General, since she was wearing long robes and there was flashes of silver from her lightsaber hilt.

"I'm sorry to make you wait so long, youngling," she said. "I am General Shaak Ti."

Jia smiled.

"Don't worry, the wait wasn't that bad. I'm Jiana Sasha White, but you can just call me Jia."

"You don't have a formal title?" the General asked.

"Well, I am an assassin, but somehow that doesn't exactly seem like the formal title I should be using," Jia said, looking thoughtful.

"So, do you know what you're doing here?" the General asked, trying to hide a smile.

"The Chancellor said I was supposed to train some cadets for, like, three months, but I wasn't told any details," Jia told her.

"That's about all he told me, as well," the General said.

"So am I going to be teaching a little to all the groups?" Jia asked.

She figured that would be the best way to share her skills. That seemed to be what the Chancellor wanted her here for: to spread her skills.

"No, you are going to have your own squad," the General said.

Jia groaned. Oh joy.

"They are near the end of their training, and just need to master a few more things," the General continued, either not hearing or ignoring Jia's groan.

"Does the squad have a name, or do I just call them Squad?" Jia asked.

"They are called Shadow Squad, because-"

Jia cut her off.

"I'll just stick with Squad."

* * *

Jia was led down to the barracks, where she was told the squad should be waiting. Sighing, she slid open the door to see two of the cadets rolling around on the ground fighting while others cheered them on. She sighed. Lovely.

She stepped through the door, and it slid shut with a hiss. No one noticed the assassin girl until she yelled, "Hey!"

Everyone froze and turned to look at her.

"Get your asses up off that ground," she snapped to the two who had been fighting.

They jumped up, staring at her with wide eyes.

"What. The. Hell," Jia said.

She turned her glare onto all of them, and they shrank back a little.

"You're a girl," one of them said after a moment of silence.

Jia snapped her head around to look at him, and then responded sarcastically, "And you're a genius."

It felt very déjà vu-ish, but she ignored the feeling and went back to yelling at the cadets.

"You know, when I was told I was supposed to train cadets, I didn't think the ones I had to train were total idiots," she said.

"You're going to train us?" another asked her.

Jia narrowed her eyes as she studied him. He seemed to be the leader of the little group. She could tell from the way he held himself and the tone of his voice.

"Listen here, you," she said, her voice getting dangerously soft. "I am just about as pissed about this assignment as you are, but you are not going to be a total jackass to me, is that understood?"

He just looked at her, copying the narrowed-eyes look.

"What's your name?" she asked him when he remained silent.

"Jax," he answered promptly.

"Well, _Jax,_" Jia said, hissing out his name. It had the desired effect, and she felt satisfaction at seeing him tense up at the way she said his name. "I hope you have better sense than you are leading me to believe right now."

"You're only a girl," Jax said. "What do you know that we don't?"

Jia actually laughed at that, making them all jump.

"Blindfold and bind me," she ordered, causing them all to stare at her like she was crazy, "and then all of you come at. Everything you've ever been taught."

They were still for a moment more, but then they did as she asked, blindfolding her and tying her hands and feet together.

"Whenever you're ready," Jia said as she sat on the edge of one of the bunks.

She could feel the stares of other squads who were watching the entire thing curiously. She could also feel the stares of Squad as they tried to figure out the best way to attack her. Eventually, they threw something at her. Jia ducked, and jumped up from the bunk. Using the cot to help, she jumped, twisting herself in midair so she end up landing in a slide.

She hit someone's feet, and they toppled over onto the ground.

"One down," she said.

She heard someone shift their weight onto one of their legs, and she blocked the kick, grabbed their ankle and twisting their leg around, causing whichever cadet it was to fall onto the ground.

"Two down."

She had counted seven when she first walked in, which meant five more. She blocked two punches, and used the sound of that person's breathing to pinpoint where they were. She dropped to the floor as they tried to punch her again, and she rolled into them, knocking them down.

"Three down."

Eventually, it just got down to one more.

"Well, Jax, I'm impressed," she said, standing still as he stalked around her.

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked.

"You walked just a tiny bit lighter on your feet than everyone else does," Jia said, listening to him walk in circles around her.

"You used how lightly I walk on my feet to identify me?" he asked incredulously.

Jia shrugged and pointed to herself, saying, "Assassin."

The caused everyone to freeze, and she felt at least twenty pairs of eyes on her.

"You're an assassin?" Jax asked.

Jia smirked, still blindfolded and bound.

"And that's what I know, that you don't."

* * *

Jia sat in the hallway and stared at the tiny blue figures of Anakin, Obi-wan, Ahsoka, Rex, and Cody.

"I hate this place already and I haven't even been here for one dsy," she complained.

"Imagine spending ten years of your life there," Rex said.

"Ugh," Jia said. "I am never going to complain about my childhood again."

"So?" Ahsoka asked. "Made any friends?"

"No, but I think I managed to piss off the squad I'm supposed to train," Jia said, a smile tugging at the edges of her lips.

"That sounds like you," Anakin commented.

"You know me too well," Jia told him with a mock sigh.

Everyone laughed.

"So what are you going to teach them first?" Ahsok asked.

"How to fight," Jia answered promptly. "I mean, I don't know who trained these cadets, but they can't pack a punch to save their lives. No offense," she added to Rex and Cody quickly.

"And then?" Ahsoka prompted her on.

"Rex, were you guys ever taught how to swim?" Jia asked.

"Not really," Cody answered for his brother.

Jia looked shocked.

"You were raised on a water planet, and you don't know how to swim?" she asked incredulously.

"Guess the Kammies didn't think we'd ever need to know how," Res said with a shrug.

"Do you know how many planets have water that you guys are sent to?" Jia asked. She glared at no one in particular. "Oh, that is defiantely the second thing I'm teaching them."

"So after they learn how to fight and swim, what next?" Ahsoka asked.

"Sniping," Jia answered promotly. "That one I think will be fun."

"Anything else?" Ahsoka asked curiously.

"I don't think so," Jia said. "If we have time, I might teach them the wonderful art of knife-throwing."

"You don't use guns much, do you?" Obi-wan asked.

"Are you kidding me? I hate guns," Jia said.

"But you know how to use them," Anakin said.

Jia rolled her eyes.

"I just said I hate them, not that I don't know how to use them."

"Why don't you like them?" Rex asked, sounding as if he couldn't believe someone wouldn't like guns.

"Well, number one, guns have a specific range of efficacy," Jia grinned to herself as she stole a line from one of her favorite TV shows. "See, most guys make one mistake with guns."

"And what's that?" Anakin asked.

Jia's grin grew into a smile as she said, "They get too close."

She paused as she let them process that, and then she continued.

"Another thing I don't like about guns is that in my, uh, _line of work_, when you have to use a gun, it's usually too late. So yeah, I don't like guns."

Ahsoka just rolled her eyes.

"You know what," Jia said, seeing that, "how 'bout you come and train the mini hims."

She nodded at Rex.

"They. Aren't. Mini," everyone said at the same time.

Jia just rolled her eyes and cut the connection.

"So, you're gonna train us how to throw knives?" Jax asked, stepping out from the shadows.

"Hi, Jax," Jia sid, not answering his question.

"You don't seem too terribly surprised to see me," Jax commented.

"That's 'cause I knew you were there," Jia said as she got up off the floor.

She stretched, well aware of Jax's gaze on her the entire time.

"Stop staring and get in bed," she said as she passed him.

"How'd you know I was listening to your conversation?" Jax asked her as she walked away.

Jia turned around so she was walking backwards and pointed to herself, saying, "Assassin."


	13. Swimming, Singing, and Dancing

**Swimming, Singing, and Dancing**

Jia shook awake the cadets, putting her fingers to her lips, telling them to be quiet. She led them out into the hallway, and handed them all their ascension cables.

"What are we doing?" one of them asked quietly. "It's the middle of the night."

"Don't expect the Separatists to let you get a good night's sleep either," Jia said softly.

"Well what are we doing?" Jax demanded.

"We're going swimming," Jia answered. "But first, I need to learn your guys' names."

"I'm the only one with a name," Jax said, somewhat smugly.

Jia made a face at him, and then said to the others, "So I get to name you all then." She looked excited about the prospect.

She pointed to each one as she said their name.

"Ouro."

"Peixe."

"Viz."

"Zjarr."

"Havet."

"Tenger."

She smiled, satisfied with her work.

"Ma'am, we don't know how to swim," Viz said.

"'Kay, first off, my name is Jia, and that is what you are going to call me; none of this ma'am stuff. It makes me sound old," Jia said, crossing her arms as she spoke. "Second, you are living on a water planet, and you don't know how to swim; which is crazy ridiculous. So, I am going to teach you."

"You said you were going to teach us hand-to-hand combact first," Jax said, narrowing his eyes at Jia.

Jia took a step towards him, putting herself less than a foot away from him. Jax's eyes widened a little at her sudde closeness, but he didn't back down.

"I don't care what I said earlier," Jia said, using the same dangerous voice she had used when talking to him earlier, "we are doing what I say right now."

Jax nodded, and started to step back, but Jia grabbed his hand and pressed down on the pressure point on the back of his hand. He sucked in his breath and ground his teeth together.

"And you will show me respect, even if I am smaller than you and even if I am a girl," Jia said, applying more pressure.

Jax winced and instinctlively tried to draw his hand away.

"Am I understood?" Jia asked him.

Jax remained silent, not willing to lose this fight for dominance. The other squad members just watched the entire thing with wide eyes, not wanting to risk having Jia turn on them.

"Am I understood?" Jia repeated, slowly starting to dig in her nails.

"Yes," Jax finally gasped out.

Jia immediately released him and stepped back. Jax rotated his hand and inspected the back of his hand. It was already starting to bruise over.

"Anything else before we go?" Jia asked brightly.

They all just stared at her, and then Zjarr asked, "Do we get to learn how to do that?"

Jia smiled.

"Would you like to learn how?"

The clones exchanged glances and then nodded, some with more reluctance than others.

"Then yes," Jia said, starting to walk towards the platform where her ship was. "I will teach you."

* * *

"How do we get down there?" Ouro asked, looking over the edge of the platform.

It was still raining (or maybe raining again, Jia couldn't tell), and the water had already soaked them through.

"We jump," Jia said, shaking the water out of her eyes.

"You're kidding, right?" Viz asked, looking at her like she was insane.

"No, I'm not," Jia told him.

"How do we get out, then?"Peixe asked. "We can't exactly jump back up to this platform."

"What do you think the ascension cables are for?" Jia yelled over the storm.

The cadets exchanged quick glances, and then Jax stepped forward, preparing to leap off the platform.

"Wait," Jia ordered him.

He paused, and she could tell he was trying to decide whether to obey her order or not.

"You don't know how to jump in without hurting yourself," she explained. "I'll go first, and you watch me, but you need to come in after me."

They all nodded, and Jia backed up a few steps. Then she ran and jumped over the edge of the platform. She started out in a flip, but then she twisted herself in midair so she was spinning, diving headfirst into the water.

"Are we supposed to do all those tricks?" Viz asked.

"I think she just wants us to dive," Jax muttered, already fed up with the girl.

He jumped first, copying her dive so he went headfirst into the water. He resurfaced a moment later, flailing and coughing. The others followed, led by Peixe who had closely followed Jax.

"The main objective is to keep your head above water," Jia called.

As she spoke, a wave crashed over her, briefly dunking her under the surface. She bobbed back up a few seconds later, and shook her head to get the water out of her eyes.

"When you get better at this, I'll teach you different strokes and stuff," she said.

Zjarr opened his mouth to say something, but a wave crashed on him, halting his comment. It took him much longer than Jia to resurface, and when he did, he was coughing and spluttering.

"You know, you're probably going to get one of us killed," Jax snapped at Jia.

"If you don't come back up after thirty seconds I'll go down after you," she told him.

At that moment, a wave threw Jia against Jax. She felt him go under, and out instinct wrapped her arms around him to pull him back up. It took her a few seconds to realize what was happening, and when she did she immediately released him and swam a few feet back. Jax watched her in amusement; it was the first time he had looked at her with something other than disgust or loathing, and Jia felt that they had made some progress.

She turned and saw Havet go under. She counted, and when he didn't resurface she started preparing herself to go after him. She was at twenty-eight when he finally came back up, gasping her breath.

"You okay?" she asked him.

He just nodded, still coughing.

Jia swam around the cadets as they struggled to keep their heads above water. She wove in between them and would pop up and startle them. After a few minutes, though, they began to recognize the feel of moving water when something was swimming near them.

At one point she felt someone's gaze on her, and looked up at the platform that held her ship. She saw a figure standing there, and she guessed it was male from the width of the shoulders and the way it stood. And she could tell he was glaring at her from the way his gaze warmed up her skin even thought she was in the cold water. She glared right back until he stood back up straight and walked away.

* * *

"Hey, where'd you guys go last night?" a cadet from another squad asked, poking Ouro in the arm as they ate breakfast.

"Jia took us out swimming," he said, stifiling a yawn.

"So you're on a first name basis with her now, are you?" the cadet asked slyly.

Ouro shook his head.

"No, she just ordered us not to call her anything besides her name. Gave Viz hell for it last night."

"Who's Viz?" the cadet asked.

Ouro didn't feel like answering anymore questions, so he stood up and, copying Jia's abruptness, said, "You're just going to have to figure it out for yourself."

The other cadet stared after him in surprise.

"What the hell did I do?" he asked no one in particular.

"You asked too many questions," Jax answered from where he was sitting.

"There's no such thing as too many questions," the cadet snorted.

Jax grimaced and said, "Tell Jia that."

"What is with this Jia?" the cadet snapped, impatient.

Jax stood up, done with his breakfast and ready to leave. As he passed the other cadet he said, "Jia is our new trainer; and what is with her? I don't know. You'll just have to ask her yourself."

* * *

Jax stood in the shadows and watched as Jia practiced her acrobatics. She seemd to fly, her hands and feet barely skimming the ground as she leapt and flipped. Eventually, she paused and looked directly at him.

"You know, if you're going to watch me, you might as well stop sulking in the shadows," she called to him.

Jax didn't answer. Instead, he stepped backwards and out of line of sight. He waited until she started going through her routines again, and then he slipped out of the room as quietly as he could. Jia paused again and stared into the shadows where Jax had been when she heard the soft click of the door. She looked thoughtful for a moment, and then she shrugged and went back to practicing.

She stopped again whe she felt another set of eyes on her.

"Come on out," she sighed.

There was a pause, and then out stepped an alien creature. From his stance, Jia recognized him from the platform the night before. He had grey-ish olive-ish colored skin, and the top of his head reminded her of a brain. He had yellow eyes and his face seemed stuck in a permanent frown.

"Well, hi," Jia said, making a face at him.

He didn't answer her, and she tipped her head to the side, studying him.

"And you are….?" She asked him.

"Bric," he said roughly.

"And why are you watching me practice my routines?" Jia asked.

"Just checking to see if you're as good as they say," Bric said.

Jia leaned back, putting most of her weight on her left leg and crossed her arms.

"You're lying," she said after a moment.

"No I'm not," Bric said.

Jia laughed at him.

"I read people, Stone," she said. "It's what I do."

"Bric," he snapped.

"Whatever. The point is, I know a theif, or an assassin, or a mercenary, or a _bounty hunter_. I can tell a flirt from a player, and a fraud from the truth. That also mean-," she paused her. "That also means I know a liar when I see one."

Bric didn't respond; he just glared at her through narrowed yellow eyes.

"Well, nice talking with ya," Jia said, turning away from him. "Bye now."

At first, Bric didn't move from where he was standing. But when he saw he was going to be ignored no matter how long he stood there, he turned and left.

"This place is full of really strange people," Jia muttered.

* * *

Jia dug around in the drawer in her bedside table. She was on her ship looking for her notebook. She hadn't put it back in the hidden space, and now she was seriously regretting it. Sighing, she pulled out some things she didn't spare a glance at, still looking for her notebook. She started when her hand brushed across cool, hard plastic.

Pulling it out of the drawer, Jia saw it was a CD case. She turned it over so she could see which CD.

"Oh my God," she cried when she saw the blue CD with silver Mickey Mouse ears and the words "Disney's Greatest, Volume 1."

"How did this get in here?" she asked no one.

She ran back to the barracks where she had left her laptop. She skidded to a stop and opened it, pressing the button on the side that opened the CD/DVD player.

The cadets watched her curiously, but they were a little used to her sudden mood changes, and it didn't bother them any more. She pushed closed the CD/DVD player, and waited impatiently for it to start up. She didn't bother putting her earphones in, and the cadets started a little when they heard music coming from her laptop.

_Whatever you do, I'll do it too._

_Show me everything and tell me how._

_It all means something;_

_And yet nothing to me._

"Oh, this is Strangers Like Me from Tarzan," Jia said with a sad smile on her face. "Gavin used to love that movie."

_Beyond the trees above the clouds,_

_Oh I see before me a new horizon._

Tears started forming in the girl's eyes as she listened to the song from one of her little brother's favorite movies. The song ended and a new song, one that was slower and sounded a little more solemn, started playing.

"And this from Mulan," she said, the tears starting to leak out of her eyes. "I remember when Gavin made me and Kayla watch both Mulan and Mulan II four times in one day."

The cadets didn't know what Mulan was, or who Gavin was, but they obviously meant a lot to the assassin. Another song started to play, and Jia's face lit up.

"Oooh, I love this song," she said, and then she started to sing along.

"_If there's a prize for rotten judgement,_

_I guess I've already won that._

_No man is worth the aggravation._

_That's ancient history;_

_Been there, done that."_

She stopped singing, and it took them a moment to realize she was only singing one part of the song.

_Who'd you think you're kidding?_

_He's the Earth and Heaven to you._

_Try to keep it hidden honey we can see right through it._

Jia picked back up the song, holding out long notes.

"_Oooooohhhhh, noooooooo._

_Ooooooh, no chance, no way, I won't say it, no, no._

_It's too cliché, I won't say I'm in love._

_I thought my heart had learned it's lesson._

_You feel so good when you start out._

_My head is screaming get a grip girl._

_Unless you're dying to cry your heart out._

_Ooooooooohhhhh._

_Ooooohhh noooooooo._

_Ooooooohhhhh; no chance, no way, I won't say it, no, no._

_This scene won't play,_

_I won't say I'm in lo-ooooo-oove._

_You're way off base, I won't say it._

_Get off my case, I won't say it._

_Ooooooooooohhhhh._

_At least out loud, _

_I won't say I'm in loooooooove."_

Jia looked up and saw everyone staring at her.

"We didn't know you could sing," Zjarr said.

"Well, that's cause I don't sing that much," Jia said.

"You should," Viz told her. "You're really good."

"Thanks," Jia said.

She skipped the next song, but stopped at the song after that.

"Oh, Cody," she murmured sadly.

The cadets stared at her in confusion, but didn't say anything.

"I remember when you asked they play this song at the school formal and you danced with me. Even Carley thought it was funny," Jia whispered.

Her eyes had become defocused and sad, and the tears started running down her face again.

* * *

_###_ _Flashback ###_

_Sasha's sharp eyes spotted Cody talking quietly to the DJ. She rolled her eyes at him. Of course he would do something like go and request a song._

"_What do you think he's doing?" Carley asked, coming up beside Sasha._

"_Whatever it is, I'm sure it's going to be something very …," Sasha trailed off, not sure how to finish._

"_Very what?" Carley asked._

_Sasha shrugged. _

"_Just very. That's all I got."_

_Carley laughed and she rolled her eyes at Jia._

"_You are most descriptive," she said in a British accent, pretending to be their English teacher._

"_Yes, well, I do try," Sasha shot back, also using a British accent._

_Both girls cracked up, and were laughed when Cody came back to them._

"_So, what was you doing?" Sasha asked him. _

"_Shh," Cody said with a mischievous smile. "You'll see."_

_Then the music started to play and Sasha and Carley looked in shock at Cody._

"_You're kidding," Sasha cried, smiling._

"_Nope," Cody said grinning._

_He grabbed Sasha's hand and pulled her out into the center of room where some happy couples had been dancing. They had stopped as soon as the song had come on. Cody started dancing, and Sasha soon followed, twirling and laughing._

You've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

When the road looks rough ahead,

And you're miles and miles from your nice, warm bed.

You just remember what you're old pal said,

"Boy, you've got a friend in me.

Yeah you've got a friend in me."

You've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

You've got your troubles,

And I've 'em, too.

There isn't anyting I wouldn't do for you.

We stick together;

We see it thorugh.

'Cause you've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

Some other folks might be a little bit smarter, now;

A little bit stronger, too.

Maybe.

But none of them will ever love you the way I do.

It's me and you , boy.

And as the years go by,

Our friendship will never die.

You're gonna see it's our destiny.

You've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

_The song ended, and Cody smirked at Sasha. She pretended to glare at him, but the laughter in her eyes gave her away. They walked back to where Carley was and saw her laughing._

"_You know, I think I have the most immature boyfriend ever," she choked out._

"_Hey," Cody said, his eyes flashing indignantly._

"_Actually, I have to agree with Carley," Sasha laughed. "You're worse than Gavin sometimes."_

_Cody just huffed and stared at them in annoyance, which caused both girls to go into another fit of giggles. Eventually, Cody smiled at them and rolled his eyes._

"_See you guys later," he said._

_Both Carley and Sasha waved at him as he walked away, and then went back to laughing. It felt good to laugh._

* * *

"Jia?" Ouro asked, seeing her space out.

She shook her head and looked at him.

"Yes?"

"Just making sure you were still there," he said.

Jia smiled, and looked down at her laptop.

"I was just thinking of a really close friend," she said.

She closed her laptop, cutting off the music.

"Do you guys know how to dance?" she asked, standing up.

They all shook their head, and Jia bit her lip thoughtfully.

"Jax, come here," she ordered.

"Why me?" he whined.

"'Cause you annoy me, so I'll annoy you," Jia answered.

Jax groaned and slowly walked over to where Jia was.

"Give me your hand," she ordered, holding out her hand.

Jax eyed her mistrustigly, and she sighed.

"I don't bite."

"No, but you give bruises on pressure points," he shot back.

Jia just stared at him with unblinking eyes, and he eventually placed his hand in hers. She held out her other hand, and he placed his other hand in her other one.

"Just follow what I tell you," she told him. Raising her voice, she said, "Peixe, can you go turn the music back on? Just open the lid and it's the fifth song from the top."

Peixe walked over to her laptop, opened it, and then stared at the screen in confusion for a few seconds, before he finally figured out how to get the song to play.

The music started, and Jia and Jax started dancing. Jax was clumsy at first, compared to Jia, but after a few seconds, he grasped the concept and was moving as easily as Jia.

"Dang, you guys are fast learners," Jia said as Jax spun her.

The song was about to end when Jia said very softly, "Start spinning in a circle really fast."

Jax looked at her in confusion, but did as she said. Jia ran, and then jumped, her hands tightly gripping Jax's. She stayed in the air, spinning with Jax.

"Let go," she ordered him suddenly.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed.

"Just do it," Jia ordered.

He did, and Jia went flying. She arched her back in midair, flipping herself so she landed gently on her hands. She bounced off the and onto her feet, grinning.

"And that is how you dance," she said.

"Next time, you dance with someone else," Jax muttered.

Jia just stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

_I kind of showed that not all of Jia's memories are bad ones in this chapter. I had so much fun writing the dancing scene. I could just totally imagine it happening. Hope you enjoyed. _


	14. Order 66

**Order 66**

_Ahsoka shifted restlessly. Something was off; she could feel it. They had won the battle, but somehow she knew it wasn't over. She went to her tent and sat down to meditate. It wasn't right. There was a sudden feeling of hostility and…. sorrow? Something was definitely wrong. Ahsoka decided to go talk to Rex about it. Her Master had been left at the Temple, and she was here directing the troops by herself. _

_Finally, she found Rex standing with his back to her. _

"_Rex, I really need to talk to you," Ahsoka said._

_She reached out to touch his shoulder, and felt him tense up. She heard the sound of a gun charging up, and turned to see more of Torrent Squadren behind her, all with their guns aimed at her._

"_What's going on?" she asked._

"_Order 66," Rex said darkly. _

_He turned around, and Ahsoka saw he had his twin pistols in his hands. She reached for her lightsabers, but they were gone. She looked around, and saw that she was completely encircled. _

"_What's Order-?" but she never got to finish before they fired and she sank to ground._

* * *

Ahsoka sat up in her bed, gasping for breath. Jumping up, she ran to Rex's quarters and banged on the door, not bothering to be quiet. Rex opened the door and looked at her curiously.

"Everything alright, Commander?" he asked her, seeing her blue eyes filled with fear.

"Can I come in?" Ahsoka asked breathlessly.

"Of course," Rex said, stepping to the side.

She walked into his quarters and sat down on the floor, leaning against the side of his bunk, trembling. Rex walked over so he stood in front of her.

"Now, what's wrong?" Rex demanded.

"Rex," Ahsoka began hesitantly, "what is Order 66?"

Rex immediately stiffened and his head snapped upwards.

"What?" he asked sharply.

"Order 66," Ahsoka repeated. "I just had a dream and you said something about Order 66."

Rex started pacing back and forth in front of Ahsoka, until she grasped his hand in hers and gently pulled him down next to her.

"Order 66 is something I would never follow," Rex answered finally.

He pulled Ahsoka into his lap and tucked her head under his chin.

"But what _is_ it?" Ahsoka questioned, shifting around so she could look Rex in the eye.

"Ahsoka, listen to me," Rex said severely. "Don't worry about Order 66. If it is ever given out, I will protect you with my life."

Ahsoka's trembling got worse, and she whispered, "But you were the one that shot me."

Rex tightened his grip on her, pulling her closer to him.

"If I ever did anything like that," he murmured, "I would have to shoot myself."

"Why?" Ahsoka asked.

Rex didn't answer, instead he said, "Ahsoka, we are done with this conversation, and we do not have it again."

Ahsoka paused at the darkness in his voice.

"Okay," she said in a small voice.

Rex blew out a breath and gently kissed the top of Ahsoka's head.

"Go back to sleep," he told her gently, "and don't worry about Order 66."

* * *

Jia sat down on the edge of a random bunk, exhausted. She was only going to be resting for a moment, and then she had to go back to her ship.

Jia didn't remember falling asleep, but suddenly someone was shaking her awake.

"Hey, you know, you're in my bed,"Zjarr told her.

She jumped up, running a hand through her disheveled hair.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Time for you to go away," Jax muttered from his bunk.

Jia snatched up Zjarr's pillow and launched it at Jax. It hit him on the side of the head, and he turned to glare at Jia. Short-tempered, exhausted, and sick of his attitude, Jia glared right back.

"Ignore him," Viz called from where he was. "He's been like that most of the day."

"Oh, so it's not just me he hates?" Jia asked.

"No," Havet said, "you're the only one he hates."

"He just takes his hatred out one everyone, not just you," Peixe added, joining the conversation.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better or worse?" Jia asked.

"I don't know," Peixe said. "We were just telling you."

"Thanks, I guess," Jia said.

She yawned and blinked, trying to get the sleep out of her eyes. She slid off Zjarr's bunk and started slowly walking to her ship. She stumbled when she was halfway to the door, before catching herself on the foot rest of another bunk.

"You okay?" Ouro asked.

"Yeah, fine," Jia said.

She shook her head to clear it and then continued walking to her ship. She barely made it to her bed before she fell asleep again.

* * *

Jia's comlink went off, giving off the shrill whistle she had set it on when someone was contacting her with an emergency. It startled her so much, she toppled off her bed and onto the floor in a tangle of pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals. Scrambling for her comlink, she turned it on and answered it.

"I'm giving you a minute to explain what the emergency is and why you're contacting me in the middle of the night before I cut you off. Go," she growled into it.

"Jia, it's Ahsoka. I need you to look something up for me," the voice came through staticy.

"I'll look it up in the morning. You still haven't explained what the emergency it. You are now down to forty-seven seconds," Jia said.

"I asked Rex about it and he refused to tell me," Ahsoka said.

Jia froze at that.

"Aren't you guys supposed to, like, not hide anything from each other?" Jia asked.

"Yes, but he wouldn't tell me _anything_," Ahsoka said, her voice rising.

"Okay, okay, chill," Jia said, untangling herself and sitting up.

"Why are we on audio only?" Ahsoka asked.

"Because you woke me up in the middle of the night, not to mention scared the crap out of me, and it was first button I pressed that answered your call," Jia told her.

"Oh, sorry," Ahsoka said. Jia could hear the guilt in her voice.

"It's cool," she said.

She walked into her computer room and sat down at the only black screen. She flipped it on, and waited for it to finish loading. The screen turned blue, and Jia immediately started typing in commands.

"I'm guessing I am going to need to hack something that these long-necks have because otherwise, you wouldn't be contacting me," Jia said as she typed.

"Well, you guessed right," Ahsoka said. "I want you to hack something for me."

Jia ground her teeth as she ran into another firewall.

"For a bunch of fishheads, these guys have some damn good encryption for protecting nothing," she hissed. Speaking normally, she added, "Hang on, I'm almost through their initial security programs."

"You know, I don't understand half of what your saying," Ahsoka said.

"Okay, I'm through," Jia said, ignoring Ahsoka's comment. "What do you need?"

"It's something called Order 66," Ahsoka told her.

"Order 66," Jia repeated, typing it in.

Her computer searched all the files and it came up empty.

"I'm getting nothing," Jia said. "Are you sure there's an Order 66?"

"I'm positi-," Ahsoka started, but Jia cut her off.

"Wait, here it is," she said. "Under the… contingency orders? Ahsoka, do you know anything about any contingency orders?"

"No," Ahsoka answered.

"Okay, well there's a bunch; a hundred fifty, to be exact," Jia said, scrolling through them, quickly scanning them.

She laughed softly, and Ahsoka asked, "Now what?"

"Apparently one of the orders is to throw away your communicator as fast as possible,"Jia said, still chuckling.

Ahsoka snorted, and Jia could picture her rolling her eyes.

"Yikes, Order 37 doesn't sound very nice," Jia said.

"What's Order 37?" Ahsoka asked.

"It's when the GAR takes civilian population under mass arrest and threatens to kill them to catch only one person," Jia said, quickly scanning it. "Uuuuumm, it says something about body disposal of "civilian casualties" and the "suppression of communications."

"Oh, that sounds fun," Ahsoka said sarcastically.

"Haha, found it!" Jia said, letting out a whoop, causing Ahsoka to jump.

"Well?" Ahsoka asked impatiently.

"Ooh, this is bad," Jia said. "This is really bad."

"What is it?" Ahsoka snapped.

Jia stared at her computer screen in shock.

"It's when all the Jedi are killed."

* * *

Ahsoka froze at Jia's words.

"What?" she whispered.

Jia's voice was a little colder and harder than before.

"It reads: In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) until a new command structure is established."

Ahsoka didn't understand any of it, but Jia's shortened version had her shaken.

"That's why Rex wouldn't tell me," she said. "Why would the clones kill the Jedi?"

Ahsoka didn't have an answer to her question, ansd she didn't know why she thought Jia might. Maybe it was because the girl had experience in killing, or maybe because she could guess people's thoughts and emotions.

"Ahsoka," Jia said in a soft, gentle tone. It was the voice she had used with Gavin when their parents had been killed. "You might want to stop asking questions."

"Why?" Ahsoka asked.

"Because once you hear it, you can't un-hear it. Just like when you see something, you can't un-see it," Jia explained, and then muttered, "And trust me when I say ignorance is bliss."

"You said something about a Supreme Commander," Ahsoka said.

That was about the only part out of that entire sentence that she had understood.

"Who is he?"

Jia sighed, and bit her lip, trying to decide whether to answer Ahsoka's questions or not.

"'Soka," she said quietly, "I might be a skilled liar, but trust me when I say I don't know."

"Okay, thanks, Jia," Ahsoka said after a pause.

Jia cut the connection and crawled back into her bed. She closed her eyes and within minutes, she was asleep again.


	15. Friends, Allies, and Enemies

**Friends, Allies, and Enemies**

Jia sat up and yawned. Sliding out of bed, she went to the cockpit of her ship and looked out the window. Outside, the rain had stopped and little streaks of sunshine were breaking through the clouds.

"Huh, look at that," Jia said to herself. "They actually have a sun here."

She yawned and padded sleepily to the little cooking unit her ship had. Opening the refrigerator-looking thing, she pulled out some bread she had baked a couple days ago and some butter. She buttered the bread and then put it in the toaster-oven she had. She set it on broil and then set a timer.

While her breakfast broiled, Jia walked into her computer room, and sat back down at the computer she had used the night before. She still had the contingency orders up on the screen, and she quickly scanned through them again. Something caught her eye: most of the orders seemed to revolve around the Chancellor. Jia leaned back in her chair and bit her lip, blinking thoughtfully.

The alarm went off, and she tore her gaze away from the computer. Getting up, she slowly went to get her toast. She thought as she ate, alternating between chewing her breakfast and chewing her lip.

Suddenly she sat up straight. What Cody used to call her "assassin-danger-radar" was going off, giving her a tingling sensation. She quickly got dressed, slipping into beige cargo pants and a white tank top. She pressed her palm against a panel that was by the door, and waited impatiently as it scanned her hand print and counted her pulse to make sure it was her. Finally, the door slid open and the ramp extended down onto the ground.

Jia walked down the ramp slowly, trying to figure out what was causing her "radar" to go off. As soon as she came into view of the rest of the platform, she saw what it was. Two members of Shadow Squad were fighting, again; dangerously close to the edge of platform.

"Hey!" Jia yelled, breaking into a run.

Now that she was closer, she saw it was Ouro and Tenger. Ouro had the upper hand, with Tenger pinned underneath him. When Jia yelled, he looked up, aimed two more punches at Tenger's face, and then stood up.

"Jia…" he said nervously.

He took a step back, stepping over edge of the platform and falling into the ocean.

"Dammit," Jia growled.

Knowing her baggy pants would weigh her down, she slipped out of them as she ran and then dove over the side of the platform. _And this had to be the day I wear white!_

Because he hit the water with his back from so high up, Ouro wasn't able to stay conscious. As soon as she hit the water, Jia forced her eyes open, ignoring the sting of the salt water. She spotted Ouro about twenty feet below her, and she swam after him. She grabbed him around the waist and started swimming back up the surface. Her oxygen supply was running out, and the extra weight of Ouro wasn't helping.

Jia finally broke through the surface, gasping for breath. Immediately she started feeling around Ouro's utility belt for his ascension cable. Just as she found it, a wave crashed over them, knocking them back under the water. Kicking out strongly, Jia brought them back to the surface and launched the ascension cable. It soared up and embedded itself in the side of the platform. That would be good enough; the rest of the squad could pull them the rest of the way up.

Jia tightened her hold on Ouro and wrapped the wire around her wrist and hand multiple times, making sure it had a good, strong hold on her. The wire started retracting, slowly lifting Jia and Ouro out of the water. After a couple of seconds, Jia felt something warm on her arm, and looked up to see the wire had cut into her skin and blood was flowing in crimson rivlets down her arm and to her shoulder, staining her shirt. Her mind barely registered the pain of the wire cutting into her flesh as she struggled to keep hold of Ouro.

Finally, they reached the platform, where the rest of Shadow Squad finished pulling them up. Immediately, Jia began forcing the water out of Ouro's lungs, not bothering to remove the wire from her hand and wrist. After a couple moments, Ouro coughed and opened his eyes. He rolled over and vomited up multiple mouthfuls of ocean water before collapsing exhaustedly onto the platform.

Only after she knew Ouro was okay did Jia start removing the wire that had become tangled in her flesh. She grimaced when the blood started flowing out of the cuts at a much faster pace. Larger hands suddenly stilled her actions, and then moved her hand out of the way. Jia looked up to see Jax crouched next to her, pulling the wire out of her wrist as gently as possible.

"So you're being nice to me now?" she asked him.

"No," Jax said as he continued to untangle the wire.

"Then what are you doing?" Jia asked when he didn't elaborate.

"Pulling the wire out of your arm," Jax answered, not looking up.

Jia gave an irritated noise from the back of her throat, but ceased in her questions.

"Did I ever tell you how annoying you are?" she asked him after a moment.

"Never straight out."

"Well, you're annoying."

Jax just snorted, not commenting. He pulled the last of the cable from Jia's skin, and she immediately jumped up, not bothering to wrap her cuts in something.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she growled.

They all flinched away from her, Ouro and Tenger especially.

"Well-," Viz started to explain, but Jia held up her bloodied hand.

"No, don't make excuses. I don't care what brought on the fight, I'm just wondering why you all were stupid enough to have a fight near the edge of a platform," she hissed.

No one answered, and Jia nodded.

"Exactly, you have no decent explanation."

She ran her damaged hand through her hand, streaking it with blood.

"If any of you get into one more fight, I swear I will personally beat your ass," she said.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, and then she said, "Come on, we have training to do."

"Aren't you going to wrap your hand?" Peixe asked.

"Why?" Jia asked in a mocking tone. "Is the blood bothering you?"

Peixe didn't answer and Jia grabbed her pants off the platform and slipped back into them.

"No more fights, do you hear me?" she asked. The way she said it, though, she made it sound more like a threat than a question.

Ouro and Tenger nodded.

"Yes."

* * *

Jia ducked as Zjarr kicked at her, and retaliated with a kick of her own. Zjarr grabbed her ankle and twisted her leg, trying to get her drop onto the floor. As soon as he started twisting, Jia jumped up and twisted the rest of her body with her leg. She ended up landed on the floor hands first with her chest and stomach following. She launched herself back up and out of the way of another of Zjarr's kicks.

She came towards him again, her eyes darting side-to-side as she figured out where to hit him. His eyes tracked her every move, and he anticipated where she was going to strike. He blocked her punch and grabbed her wrist, twisting her arm up behind her back. He kicked the back of her knees and she dropped to the ground. She struggled for a moment, but Zjarr had her pinned.

"Very good," she said breathlessly.

Some other cadets had gathered to watch since they were practicing in the middle of the Mess Hall, and the congratulated Zjarr with slaps on the back. No one was bothered by the fact that Jia was training the squad of cadets in the Mess Hall, except maybe the Kaminoans. Even the Jedi General found Jia's random selection of training areas to be entertaining.

Jia jumped up from the ground and looked around.

"Peixe, you next, and then Jax," she said.

Peixe groaned.

"Oh, come on; I've been here for a month and a half. You should be able to beat me by now."

Peixe just stared at her mutinously, before reluctantly stepping out of the throng of clones. Jia stood still, watching him through narrowed eyes. Peixe stared back levely, remaining perfectly still, waiting for her to make the first move. She did, kicking at his face. Peixe blocked with his arm and retaliated with two punches and a kick. Jia was able to block the punches, but the kick she got in the stomach. She stumbled back, momentarily thrown off balance. Peixe took advantage of that, leaping at her and tackling her onto the ground.

Jia rolled her weight around, throwing Peixe to the side. Peixe grabbed onto her wrist as he was thrown off, bringing Jia with him. Jia twisted her body, causing her wrist to be pinned at an impossible angle, but she didn't show any signs of pain. Instead, the new angle caused Peixe to lose his grip on her, and she rolled away from him.

She jumped up off the ground, but Peixe grabbed her ankle and yanked her feet out from under her. Jia managed to tuck her head in time before she hit the ground. Buy the time she had unrolled herself, Peixe was on her. He aimed two punches at her face, but she managed to squirm out of the way. Trying to keep her still, Peixe placed his knee on her sternum. When he punched at her again, he pressed his knee down, but Jia still managed to squirm out of the way. Peixe's knee slipped and a crunching sound was heard.

Everyone froze and stared at him with wide eyes, while he stared down at Jia in horror. He quickly stood up, and pulled her up from the ground. She coughed once, placed a hand on her side, and winced.

"Peixe, I think you broke my rib," she said, wincing.

No one moved, and Peixe remained silent, unsure of how to respond. Then Jia smiled.

"Well, you definitely won. Congrats," she said.

Another moment of silence, and then Peixe was getting slapped on the back just like Zjarr.

"What is going on in here?" a voice asked, louder than everyone elses.

Jia looked up to see Bric stalking into the Mess Hall.

"This is the Mess Hall, not a fighting rink," he snapped.

"Gee, Stone, chill," Jia said.

"Bric," he snarled at her.

"Stone, Bric, whatever," Jia retorted.

"Everyone out," he yelled.

Jia started walking out with everyone else, but Bric stopped her.

"I want to talk to you," he growled.

She shrugged, and sat down on one of the tables. When everyone had left, Bric turned to Jia, anger written all over his face.

"You are screwing up their training," he said in a low voice.

"No, I'm just enhancing it," Jia argued.

"You are teaching them it is okay to disobey authorities and go behind their superiors' backs," Bric said.

"I'm teaching them it is okay to have opinions," Jia said, her eyes flashing. "Is that so bad?"

"They are not supposed to be independent thinkers," Bric snarled softly. "If they have too much of an outside influence, they will start questioning everything they have been taught. If their way of thinking changes, the Republic just might possibly lose this war."

"You have taught them to think in a straight line," Jia said, making sure to keep her voice steady and calm. "I am teaching them to take that line, and make a box with it; and then to think outside of that box."

"Because of you, Shadow Squad is starting to do things differently. They aren't doing things the way they are supposed to," Bric spoke very slowly, as if he were explaining this to a young child. "And they have started becoming very abrupt and opinionated."

"I was brought here to make changes," Jia said, staring at him levely. "The Chancellor knows what I can do, and he brought me here to do it. If he didn't want soldiers that think and fight a little differently from everyone else, I wouldn't be here."

She got up from the table and pushed past Bric, saying, "Now, excuse me; I've got some cadets to train."

* * *

"Come on," Jia said. "Let's go. Hurry up."

"Why are we doing this in our armor?" Peixe asked for the fourth time.

"You guys can swim really good now," Jia said. "It's time to put your swimming to the final test."

"So we swim in our armor?" Viz asked incredulously.

"And with some gear," Jia said, grabbing a different assortment of weapons and supplies, and randomly handing them out.

"You're insane," Jax muttered.

"Took you long enough to figure that out," Jia shot back.

She slung a backpack over one shoulder and started walking to the edge of the platform.

"Jia," a voice called.

She turned around to see Bric stalking towards them.

"Hey, Stone," she said. "You came just in time to join the fun."

"Bric," he snapped.

"Whatever," Jia said.

She turned back around, intending to walk away from Bric, when he grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop.

"I would lke to talk to you," he said through clenched teeth.

Jia jerked her arm free and turned around again to face him. She crossed her arms and rolled her weight back onto one leg, narrowing her eyes at Bric.

"Okay," she said. "Talk."

"Not here," Bric hissed.

Jia planted her feet stubbornly on the platfor and glared at Bric.

"Yes, here," she said. Her eyes were daring him to argue with her.

"Fine," he growled.

Jia raised her eyebrows, indicating he continue.

"You are messing up everything they have been taught," he said after a moment.

He nodded his head at Shadow Squad, and asked, "Swimming? Seriously? When are they ever going to need to know how to swim with their gear on?"

"I don't know, but my job is to train them to be prepared for anything," Jia said.

"No," Bric snarled. "That's _my_ job."

Jia's face changed into one of understanding, and she let out a breath of laughter.

"You," she said, "are jealous."

"No, just annoyed," Bric countered.

Jia just rolled her eyes.

"Okay, well, I'm sorry if my teaching ways bother you."

She pushed past him to continue walk to the edge of the platform.

"If it bothers you that much, take it up with the Jedi Council or the Chancellor, but stay out of my way; I've got work to do," she called over her shoulder.

With that, she launched herself over the edge of the platform, Shadow Squad following after her.

* * *

"Hold it by the blade, like this," Jia said.

She paused for a moment, letting the cadets see how she was holding her knife.

"You keep a firm grip, but keep your wrist loose, bring your arm back, forward, and then release," she continued.

She launched her knife across the room, and it struck the dummy that had been set out for them to practice on squarely in the head. The cadets stared from the knife to her with a new light of respect in their eyes.

"Okay, guys, you try," Jia said, stepping back to let Jax take her place.

He pulled his jackknife out of one of the puches on his utility belt and launched it at the dummy. It missed and clattered the floor a good foot behind the dummy.

"You threw too high," Jia said. "Next."

Oruo came next, and he too missed the dummy. His knife came closer, though, just barely skimming the side of it.

"Close, but a close hit is still a far miss," she sighed. "Next."

Out of all seven cadets, Havet was the only one who was able to get his knife into the dummy.

"Oh, we really need to practice," Jia groaned as she watched them. Raising her voice, she said, "Okay, again."

By the end of the day, all seven could hit the dummy accurately. Their knives would hit the dummy very close to their mark, if not directly on it.

"Wow," Jia said when they all gathered around her at the end of the day. "I think that is the fastest I have ever seen anyone learn how to throw a knife. Congrats on that."

She made a face as she thought, quickly planning out the next few days based on their performance with the knives.

"So, tomorrow, I guess I'll teach you guys hand-to-hand combat with knives," she said.

"Wouldn't that be the same, only with knives?" Jax asked disdainfully.

"Careful, Jax," Viz teased. "I wouldn't get her angry while she has her knife in her hand."

"Oh, don't worry," Jia said, "I wouldn't use it on any one of you guys."

But there was a mischievous look in her eyes, and Zjarr narrowed his eyes at her.

"What's the look for?" he asked suspiciously.

Jia stared at him in shock, and then she started laughing.

"I've trained you well," she said.

"What?" Zjarr asked.

"You do realize you just read me without even meaning to, right?" Jia asked.

Her excitement was barely contained in her voice, and they figured that if she wasn't so tired, she would have been hopping in circles around them.

"Well, why did you have that look on your face?" Zjarr questioned, not bothering to answer her question.

"I was just going to show you this," Jia said.

The clones watched in amazement as she launched her knife backwards over her head, and it hit the dummy directly in the chest. If that had been a real person, they would have been dead before any medical help could be given.

"Yeah, Jax," Viz said, turning back to his fellow cadet. "Don't get her angry."

* * *

Jia led her squad down the hall towards one of their tests.

"Hostage situation," she said, turning around to face them and walking backwards.

"Assess the situation and possible damage that could be caused," Viz answered promptly.

"Clear the area of the hostages, or draw the attack to another area," Havet added.

"Last resort, use the hostages to our advantage," Zjarr finished.

"Critical information is stolen by the enemy," Jia told them.

"If it's digitalized, shut it down," Peixe said.

"Track it down and get it back," Tenger said quickly, answering before Havet could.

"Response tactics," Jia said.

"It's simple," Jax said in an annoyed voice. "You don't use those tactics."

Jia just stuck her tongue out at him.

Because she was walking backwards, Jia didn't see Bric until she bumped into him. She tilted her head back to look up at him.

"Oh, hi, Stone," she said, smiling sweetly up at him.

"Bric," he almost yelled.

"Whatever," Jia said, still smiling.

Bric clenched his fist and ground his teeth together. He knew that if he got in a fight with this girl she would probably win; and that would not be good for his reputation.

"I have come to… _relieve _you of your training duties," he said.

Jia narrowed her eyes at him. She could see smugness in his eyes, and could hear something like satisfaction in his voice.

"What?" she asked, dropping the smile and turning around so she could look at him normally.

"I spoke to the Jedi and the Chancellor, just like you suggested, and they agree with me that having you come to Kamino to train cadets is not in the best inerest of the GAR," he said.

This time, his smugness was evident in his voice.

"So, you're what?" Jia asked. "Kicking me out?"

Bric pretended to think.

"Something like that."

Jia blinked, and then said, "Okay."

She turned back to face Shadow Squad. They expected her to argue or say something more, but she just nodded once at them.

"Well, good luck with the rest of your training," she said.

And then she turned and walked away.

* * *

Jia charged up her ship and took off in the rain clouds. She knew Bric was watching her to make sure she left, so she had to make it look like she was leaving. But she would be coming back. She had some cadets to help train.

She flew her ship in a circle around Tipoca City and, after making sure it was cloaked, landed it gently and silently on top of one of the buildings. She jumped out of her ship and slid down the smooth, slanted roof of the building. Just as she reached the edge, she turned and caught the edge of it with her fingers. She dangled about twenty feet above a railing looking sort of thing. Taking a deep breath, she released her hold on the roof. She just barely managed to catch the railing, her shoulder jerking out of socket as she did so.

Jia winced, but clung on. Looking up, she saw and entrance on the little balcony she was dangling from. Slowly, she pulled herself up, trying hard to ignore the pain that burned in her shoulder. She rolled onto the balcony and sighed. It would be so much easier if Bric had allowed her to stay.

Oh, well. The joke was on him. He had turned it into a game in Jia's mind, and she knew this was a game she could win. Easily.

Getting up, Jia slipped inside the building. If anyone saw her, the game would be over, and she would have lost. She slipped into an air duct, crawling on her stomach, pausing periodically to see if anyone had noticed her.

She smiled to herself as she crawled. Being at Kamino was definitely turning out to be more fun than she had originally thought it would be. _Let the game begin._

* * *

Viz punched his cot angrily.

"He can't do that!" he exclaimed.

"Actually, he can," Jax said boredly from his bunk. "Since her training us is off the record."

"Look on the bright side," Zjarr sighed. "Now we can pass all our tests without a single flaw. And we can show off to the other squads."

"What is it with you guys and that girl?" Jax asked. "She is nothing, except annoying."

"Why don't you like here?" Havet questioned.

"Because she's is not everything that everyone thinks she is," Jax said. "I mean, the Jedi can do everything she can, except they do it better."

"Yeah, but the Jedi are held back by their codes and stuff," Ouro argued. "Jia isn't. She's killed people."

"How do you know that?" Jax snapped.

"You can see it in her eyes," Tenger spoke up. "And by the way she holds her knife."

"The Jedi haven't done that," Peixe pointed out.

"Seriously, Jax, why don't you like her?" Havet repeated his question.

Jax remained silent, ignoring the question and Viz suddenly smiled.

"It's a dominance thing isn't it?"

"No," Jax lied.

"You should have paid more attention when she was teaching us how to lie," Peixe snorted. "That was the worst lie ever."

"Well, I could teach him again," a female voice said.

They all looked around, but didn't see Jia. She slid out of the air duct, landing on the ground silently.

"You're supposed to be gone," Havet said.

"I could always leave again," Jia suggested.

"Yes, please do," Jax muttered.

Before anyone could respond, Jia climbed up to where Jax's bunk was and sat on the edge of it.

"Okay, what is your issue?" she asked him. "Besides the dominance thing."

"Go away," Jax snapped.

Jia didn't answer. Instead she remained sitting stubbornly on the edge of his bunk. Infuriated, Jax grabbed a handful of her hair while simultaneously reaching for her knife. Jia let out a cry of pain as he yanked her onto his bunk and pinned her down, holding the blade to her throat.

"I said go away," he snarled.

"Going to kill me with my own knife, Jax?" Jia asked calmly.

Her head was sore from where Jax had yanked on her hair, and she felt exposed without the familiar weight of her knife on her belt, but she wasn't scared.

"No," Jax said. "Killing you would be too easy."

He glanced around as he thought about what to do, momentarily taking his eyes off Jia. The half second was all she needed. She bucked upward and kicked, hitting Jax in the stomach. He coughed and swung the knife at Jia, but she ducked and grabbed his wrist. She squeezed, forcing him to release the knife. It fell onto the bunk and they both grabbed for it. Jia reached for the blade and it cut into her hand, her blood splashing onto Jax's sheets.

She cursed as pain shot up her arm, and elbowed Jax in the ribs. He retaliated by punching at Jia, but she blocked and grabbed for her knife again. This time, she got it back. She kicked Jax in the stomach again, and pinned him down on his bunk. She placed her knees on his elbows and held her knife to his throat.

"Going to kill me, Jia?" Jax asked.

"No," Jia said. "That would be too nice."

She stared at Jax and Jax stared at her. Her cut hand was on Jax's chest, holding him down, and her blood had soaked through his shirt already.

"You gonna wrap that?" Jax finally asked.

"You gonna wrap it for me?" Jia shot back.

They became silent again, and then Jia said, "Good practice. That's better than I've ever seen you."

She flipped her blade back into the hilt of her knife and hopped off of Jax.

"Do that in your final test, and you'll definitely pass," she called as she left the room.

"She considered that practice?" Ouro asked, staring after her.

Jax looked thoughtful.

"I guess so."

* * *

Jax stood straight and tall, not moving a single muscle. He and his squad blended in with the see of tan faces, black hair, and white armor, but Jia was able to identify him. He stood a little differently; held his head a little higher.

She looked down at her hand. The cut she had gotten while fighting Jax was just starting to scar over. She ran one finger absent-mindedly over it, and then looked back up. She wasn't supposed to be here, but rules had never stopped her before. She had helped train these cadets, and she was going to be at their "graduation," as she called it.

Jax listened as the Jedi spoke, and then he listened as Bric spoke, and then he listened as the Jedi spoke again. He sighed and tried not to fidget. Jia would never have wasted time like this. Even if he didn't like her, he had to admit he respected her and her little "code of conduct."

Jia watched as all the clones put their helmets on simultaneously and started marching towards the frigate that was waiting for them. She followed them, sticking to the shadows and skirting the edge of the crowd.

Jax saw movement in the corner of his eye. He didn't need his scanners to know it was Jia. Only she would come back after being ordered away, and sneak around in the shadows. Maybe that was why they had never gotten along: Jia liked the shadows while Jax liked the spotlight. But he felt some sort of satisfaction that she had still come to make sure they all passed.

They weren't friends, and they never would be. But they weren't enemies either. He would fight for her in an instant, and he knew she would do the same if needed. Allies, maybe. Allies he could handle, friends he couldn't. He got closer to the frigate, and turning his head slightly in Jia's direction, he nodded, once.

It was so tiny, he doubted for a moment she had caught it, but then he swore he saw her nod back.


	16. Monsters

_I know it took me longer than usual to update. Sorry for the wait. I'm visiting my cousins in Florida (there are 5 of us) and things are crazy. We're at the beach everyday, and then going on all these crazy private tours (yesterday we went to the vet school at University of Florida). I have had my only girl cousin (7 months younger) revise and edit this chapter, and she "officially" approves of it, so it must be good. I don't own Star Wars or any of the songs. Happy Fourth of July. _

**Monsters**

Jia crept through the halls of the _Resolute_. She was hoping to at least make it to her quarters before anyone noticed she had returned.

"Jia!" Ahsoka cried.

Jia winced. Now everyone knew she was here. The next second she was crushed in a hug from Ahsoka.

"Okay, okay," Jia said. "I'm back. I'm alive. I'm okay."

Ahsoka didn't miss the fresh scar on Jia's hand though.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I…. got in a fight," Jia muttered.

Ahsoka sighed.

"Of course you did."

Jia just hmphed at that and continued walking to her quarters.

"So, what was it like?" Ahsoka asked as they walked.

"Interesting," Jia answered carefully.

"Interesting?" Ahsoka asked incredulously. "Come on, Jia, you know I want more than that. What were the cadets like? Was it as bad as you thought it would be? Was it always raining? Did you-"

Jia stopped walking abruptly and turned around to face Ahsoka.

"'Soka," she said. "First off, you are interrogating me, even if you don't mean to. Second, it would be someone else who debriefs me. Third, they're aren't going to get me to cooperate with the debriefing."

Ahsoka backed away a little, and Jia didn't need to be a Jedi to know she had hurt the Togruta. She sighed.

"Don't take it personally, 'Soke. I'm just really grumpy 'cause I didn't get a lot of sleep."

Ahsoka nodded and echoed Jia's sigh.

"I'm sorry," she apologized,"I'm just really curi-"

"Never apologize," Jia cut her off. "It is-"

"A sign of weakness," Ahsoka finished. "I know, I know."

Jia smiled and said, "Good. Just making sure."

Ahsoka returned her smile, and they started walking again.

"By the way, I'm the only one that knows you're back," she whispered in Jia's ear.

They rounded a corner and bumped into Echo and Fives.

"Not anymore," Jia smiled.

"Hey, you're back," Fives said.

"Last time I checked," Jia said.

She put down her suitcase and stretched up to hug Fives, and then Echo.

"You smell different," Fives commented.

Jia raised her eyebrows and stared at him in shock and confusion.

"'Scuse me?" she asked.

"Last time your hair smelled like fresh water. Now it smells like salt water," Fives explained.

"Well, I just spent the last three months on a salt water planet," Jia said in a 'duh' tone.

Fives just shrugged and Jia gave a contented sigh. It was good to back.

* * *

"She's back?" Rex asked, flexing his hand.

"Yeah, I just had a "typical" conversation with her," Fives said, looking at his CO curiously.

Rex stood up abruptly and went to find her. He found Jia in her quarters, staring at the screen of her laptop, chewing on her lip. He stepped silently into the room, and closed the door as quietly as he could, but she turned around anyways.

"Hey, Rex," she said with a smile.

Rex yanked her off her bunk and tried to pin her up against the wall. Out of instinct, Jia twisted herself in his grasp and kicked at his groin. Rex effectively managed to avoid her foot and shoved her roughly against the wall.

"What is your problem?" Jia cried.

"Why did you tell her?" he growled.

"Tell who what?" Jia asked, confused.

"Ahsoka!" Rex said. "Why did you tell her about Order 66?"

"She asked me about it," Jia said, bewildered.

"There is a reason I didn't tell her," Rex hissed.

"Well, I'm sorry for answering her honestly and truthfully," Jia snapped. "But is it just her you didn't want to know about Order 66? Or is it me, too? After all, I am the trained assassin who is not bound by any rules and hasn't sworn my allegiance to the Republic."

Rex took a step back, releasing her from the wall.

"What are you implying?" he asked carefully.

Jia took a step towards him and glared into his visor. Her eyes had darkened with anger so they were almost black, and then seemed to have frozen over. Rex felt like he was staring into deep pits of black ice.

The muscles around her eyes tightened as she said in a hard voice, "That you don't trust me."

* * *

Jia leaned against the doorway of the medbay.

"Kix," she called.

He turned around to face her.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I want to talk to you," she said.

He turned all the way around and stood up straight, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Somewhere private," Jia elaborated.

Hardcase, who had somehow gotten himself into the medbay, grinned slyly and shot a look at Boil. Jia snatched up a pillow from one of the empty beds and flung it at his head.

"Hey," Hardcase objected.

"You keep your thoughts and comments appropriate," Jia snapped as she and Kix left the medbay.

"Nice going," Kix commented as they walked down the hall.

"He annoys me," Jia said.

Kix snorted at her bluntness.

"Many people probably annoy you," he told her.

"Yes, and most of them end up with something thrown at them that is not as harmless as a pillow," Jia commented.

Jia led him into a turbolift and then stopped it.

"What do you know about Order 66?" she asked Kix softly.

"Jia, what's wrong?" Kix asked, immediately picking up that there was more behind her question than just curiosity.

"Just," Jia paused. She didn't like lying to any of her friends, and she considered Kix one of her closest friends. "Just answer the question."

Kix took a step closer to Jia.

"What is wrong?" he repeated, more firmly this time.

"Rex attacked me," Jia whispered after a few moments of hesitation.

Kix's eyes widened, but he remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I wasn't hurt. I could've protected myself," Jia said. "But he attacked me. He is supposed to be my friend. He was mad that I had told Ahsoka about Order 66."

Kix took another step towards Jia and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"But that isn't what's bothering you," he stated, staring into her eyes.

"He doesn't trust me," Jia said, hurt evident in her voice.

"You know how to kill a man fourteen different ways with your bare hands," Kix said. "Don't take it too personally that he doesn't trust you."

"But he should," Jia cried. "I saved his life. I have fought on his side. I would die to protect him. I would die to protect any of you!"

Not knowing how to respond to that, Kix just pulled her into a hug. He knew he was probably the only person she had ever opened completely up to, and the only person she trusted enough to.

"He is angry," Kix murmured. "He will say and do things he does not mean."

"But it's not my fault Ahsoka turned to me because he wouldn't tell her anything," Jia said.

"No, but because you gave the answer he didn't want her to know, you are the easiest outlet for his anger," Kix explained.

"It hurts," Jia whispered.

Kix just blinked sympathetically and ran his fingers through her long hair. She took a deep breath and pulled away from him.

"Okay, now you answer my question."

Kix rocked back on his heels and bit the inside of his cheek.

"Order 66," he said.

Jia nodded, keeping her gaze trained on him.

"It's when the clones-," he started, but was cut off by Jia.

"Kill all the Jedi. I know that much."

"Than why are you asking me about it?" Kix questioned.

Jia raised an eyebrow and blinked thoughtfully.

"Why so defensive?" she countered.

When Kix remained silent, she added, "You should know I've never interrogated someone without hurting them."

Kix's eyes widened and she saw him swallow, but, to his credit, he didn't flinch or back away.

"The order can only be given out by the Chancellor and it brands all te Jedi as traitors," he said after many long minutes.

"And then?" Jia prompted when he didn't continue.

"The clones kill their commanding Jedi and any other Jedi, and all leadership is diverted to the Chancellor until-"

"A new command structure is created. Yeah, I got that part," Jia interrupted.

"Why so curious?" Kix asked.

"Why so questioning?" Jia retorted.

"Jia, I know you," Kix said quietly. "And I am going to confirm what you have probably already realized and logged: almost all the orders have something to do with the Chancellor." Kix paused here and bent down so he was eye-level with Jia. "You're an assassin, Jia, which means you aren't asking because you are curious; you are asking because you are suspicious."

* * *

Jia stood on the bridge, looking out one of the bg windows. The bridge had become her new favorite place since Rex was rarely there. She sighed when she felt someone looking at her.

"Stop staring at my ass and do what you're supposed to be doing," she said without turning around.

She sighed again and rolled her weight back onto one leg, and then shifted her weight onto another leg.

"Why so antsy?" Rex asked, coming up behind her.

"I'm not used to not doing anything," Jia said, turning around but stopping short, her eyes wide, when she saw who it was. She took a step back and glared at Rex through ice cold eyes.

"If you're here to attack me again, do know that I will fight back to all of my ability and you will end up in the medbay," she growled.

Some of the clones paused in what they were doing to listen to and watch what was going on between the assassin and their Captain. Rex gulped inaudibly and resisted the urge to take a step back from the angry girl.

"I came to apologize for-," he started, but Jia cut him off.

"I'm not going to accept it," she said.

"Why?" Rex asked.

"Apologizing is a sign of weakness, and you are a soldier, someone who doesn't show weakness, and apologizing is a sign of weakness,"Jia said in a low voice.

She pushed past Rex and started walking towards the exit, when Admiral Yularen blocked her way.

"The Captain was talking to you," he said gently.

"'Was' being the key word there," Jia retorted. "He isn't anymore."

"I think he would like to," the Admiral said.

"Well, sucks for him," Jia snapped.

She shoved the Admiral out of her way and broke into a run. Maybe coming back hadn't been such a good idea.

* * *

Jia quickly packed up her suitcase, throwing everything into it, and grabbed her laptop. She quickly wrote a note saying: I'm not having the best of times, so I'm leaving. Hope it doesn't inconvienience any of you.

She left it on her bunk and ran to her ship. She had to leave before anyone realized that she was leaving. Living with a six-year-old younger brother had been so much easier than living with these clones.

She cloaked her ship and took off, feeling a sense of relief as the feeling of anger vanished. _Hold up_, she thought sharply, _**feeling**_ _of anger? I'm not a Jedi; I shouldn't be able to __**feel**__anger. Or hatred. Or happiness. Or any of that stuff. _But she did have her "assassin-danger-radar" and her other "assassin senses" (Cody had given names to anything that had to do with her being an assassin).

Jia sighed. She didn't want to be Force sensitive. Maybe no one would notice. She hoped so. She knew there was a possibility being a Jedi was pretty much a death sentence. She would just have to wait and see how everything played out.

Without really meaning to, she flew her ship towards Coruscant. She guessed she could visit Lylla again, and then maybe she would go to the Jedi Temple. Not that she had a reason to go. Well, she did have a reason to go. She was hoping to get, what Kayla would call, phsycological help. She figured a Jedi would be the best person to go to, since Kayla couldn't help anymore and the clones didn't really need to hear about her problems.

Jia landed her ship in the same port she had the last two times she had been to Coruscant. Maybe the space was reserved for her. More likely it was reserved for someone else; not that she cared. She exited the port unseen, and made her way to Lylla's apartment. She knocked on the door, feeling anticipation in her stomach. It had been about four months since she had seen Lylla. Maybe Lylla had been smart and decided that she didn't want to be friends with her.

Lylla opened the door and Jia smiled.

"Hey, Lylla," she said.

Lylla stood still for a moment, and then she grabbed Jia in a bone-crushing hug.

"I didn't think you would come back," she said as she pulled Jia into her apartment.

"Well, I said I would, and I always keep my word," Jia said. _Of course_, she added silently to herself, _except when I'm lying._

"Oh, being endlessly rich for three months was so fun," Lylla sighed as they sat down on her couch. "Maybe you could get in more trouble and we could do it again?" she asked hopefully.

Jia laughed.

"Sorry, but I have different plans this time."

Lylla let out a disappointed sigh, but then perked back up.

"Okay, so what are you doing here again?" she questioned.

"Well," Jia said, "let's start with me telling you my name, and then maybe we can talk about who I plan to piss off this time around…"

* * *

Jia didn't bother to hide or creep as she walked up the enterance of the Jedi Temple. She knew the clones wouldn't see her. Maybe the Jedi would sense her, but oh well. She walked down the multiple hallways, accustoming herself to the feel of the Temple, and making a mental map.

She knew her attire- a loose, black skirt that was about mid-thigh length and a white, transluscent blouse with a brown belt around her stomach and brown cowboy boots, which was different from her usual cargo pants and tank top- would let everyone know she wasn't a Jedi, but she didn't care. She had her knife clipped onto the waistline of her skirt, the black case blending in with the black fabric, and as long as she had her knife, all was good. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, and then clipped up in a butterfly clip so her hair hung over it, making it look like she had shorter hair than she actually did, which was also different from her usual quickly-done braid or ponytail.

Sure enough, she got curious looks from some of the people she passed, and disapproving glares from some of the older Jedi. She ignored their glances and continued on her way, trying to find someone who looked like a big, important Jedi Master; like the ones she had overheard Ahsoka talk about.

She wasn't really paying attention, and Jia tripped over something. Looking down, she saw it was a girl of about five years of age. She had dusky brown hair that hung in long, loose curls down to her waist, pale skin, and deep, chocolate colored eyes.

"Are you lost?" she asked Jia.

"Why would you ask that?" Jia retorted gently.

"I was just guessing," the little girl responded.

Jia smiled and crouched down so she was eye-level with the girl.

"What's your name, little one?" she asked.

"Maddison," the little girl answered promptly. "Maddison Suszko."

"Well, Maddison," Jia said, "to answer your question, yes, I am lost. Would you like to help me?"

Maddison got an excited gleam in her eyes and she rolled her weight onto the balls of her feet.

"Where do you need to go?" she asked.

"Can you take me to a Jedi Master?" Jia asked.

"Which one?" Maddison questioned.

"Whichever one we find first," Jia responded.

Maddison smiled at that, her smile lighting up her warm eyes. Jia had to swallow back the sudden lump that formed in her throat, and blink away the sudden tears. This little girl was so much like Lavinia it was almost painful. Looking at her more closely, Jia noticed how she looked familiar. It took her a moment to realize that the face of the little girl was the face she had drawn in her notebook a while back.

Maddison slid her tiny hand into Jia's and started tugging her down the halls. She navigated them so quickly, Jia had to struggle to map it out without missing anything. After a couple minutes, Maddison slowed down and stopped in front of some doors.

"This is Master Kit Fisto's bedroom," she whispered to Jia. "He's really nice."

Jia smiled and kissed Maddison on the forehead.

"Thank you for helping me," she whispered back.

Maddison returned the smile and then skipped off down the hall. Jia stood and watched her, a thoughtful look on her face. Then she turned and knocked on the door. After a few moments, a green alien with long tentacles opened the door. He had big, round black eyes and wore reddish-brown robes with soft, leather boots.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Yeah, I asked for some advice on which Jedi Master I should come see, and I was directed towards you an told you were very nice," Jia said.

Kit Fisto smiled and stepped out into the hallway.

"What do you need?" he asked

Jia bit her tongue, trying to figure out how much she should tell this Jedi about… well, about anything. She had been having nightmares ever since she had killed that kidnapper, Rex's anger towards her was putting her on edge, and Order 66 was constantly blotting out other thoughts.

"Umm," Jia chewed on her lip, not sure where to start.

"You are unsure of yourself, aren't you?" the Jedi asked.

Jia was surprised, but she took it all in stride. He was a Jedi, so of course he would know something like that.

"It's not necessarily that," Jia said hesitantly. "It's the fact that I'm a trained assassin and yet a five-year-old, Force-sensitive, little girl, that I just met today already trusts me with her life."

"Why does that bother you?" Kit Fisto asked.

"I have the blood of people, granted they weren't innocent, well some were, but I have their blood on my hands, and their deaths on my conscious, but I'm looked at as one of the good guys," Jia said with a huff.

The Jedi looked at her, and then said, "There's more that bothers you."

But Jia was beginning to feel foolish and weak for coming for help. And she didn't like the way the Jedi was looking at her; it made her feel like she was being interrogated.

"You're right, Mr. Jedi," she said, making it clear she intended on leaving. "But you don't need to be bothered by my crazy problems. Thanks for listening. Bye."

She turned and quickly walked down the hallway, leaving Kit Fisto to stare after her with a mixture of thoughtfulness and confusion.

* * *

The sun had already been setting by the time Jia had gotten to the Jedi Temple, and it had gotten dark while she was talking to the Jedi. Well, as dark as it could get on Coruscant. She walked slowly through the halls, taking her time to explore the giant building. The darkness mixed with the unfamiliar territory ignited an old sense of adventure she used to get when she was sent on missions with Red and Eagle.

Red and Eagle. She missed them so much. They had died protecting her. Just like Ali had. Just like Cody had. Just like her parents had died protecting the country they loved, and her aunt had died protecting Lavinia, which had turned out to be a useless effort since Lavinia was then killed.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" a voice asked, startling her.

Jia silently cursed. It wasn't like her to be so out of things.

"Maybe I should ask you the same question," she retorted.

She scanned the hallway until she saw a teenage boy, maybe eighteen, leaning casually up against the wall. Judging by his clothing, he was a Jedi. Of course. Everyone in this Temple was a Jedi. Except, of course, for her. The boy looked over at her, his eyes scanning her body. It was almost as if he were sizing her up; seeing if she was enough trouble to talk to.

"You aren't a Jedi," he stated after a moment.

Jia snorted.

"Took you long enough to figure that out," she said.

The boy half-smiled.

"I'm Jacob," he said, straightening up and holding out his hand to Jia.

"Oh, goody," she said sarcastically, "another name to remember."

She returned the handshake, though; and it wasn't as if she _couldn't_ remember all the names. She had a memory made for details taken in through sight, sound, smell, feel, and taste; and names were no exception.

"What are you doing in the Temple?" Jacob asked.

Jia sighed dramatically.

"You Jedi sure like to ask a lot of questions."

Jacob smirked and said, "Well, since you don't like answering questions, I'll ask you a simple one: what's your name?"

Jia paused and studied Jacob as best she could in the dimmed lights of the hallway. He was stocky and muscular, with straight, black hair and pale green eyes. He had tan skin that just about matched hers, and he stood with an air of confidence.

"Jia," she finally answered.

"You aren't giving me your full name?" Jacob asked.

"Well, you didn't give me yours," Jia shot back.

Jacob smiled and Jia could tell he was enjoying the conversation.

"Well, I guess we're even," he said as he resumed his position against the wall. "Carry on with what you were doing."

Jia started to walk past him, but he flashed out a hand and grabbed her wrist. Jia forced herself not to sock him in the nose. If he tried anything, that was when his nose would get broken. She wasn't sure what Jacob was doing, though. He pulled her face close to his, and opened his mouth as if to say something, but then just closed it again and smirked. He stared her down for a few moments, and then let her go.

Jia stared at him curiously for an extra moment, and then she turned and continued walking. People in this galaxy could be so weird sometimes.

* * *

Maybe it was the fact that it was so silent, or maybe it was her extra-sensitive assassin-hearing, or maybe both, but Jia heard faint screaming coming from one of the dorms. She broke into a run while trying to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. She found it, and pressed the button she guessed opened the door, praying it wasn't locked.

The door slid open and Jia ran in. She shook the child awake only to find herself staring into familiar, brown eyes. It was Maddison. _Of course,_ she thought with an inward sigh.

Maddison stared up at her with big, fear-filled eyes. Jia felt her heart well up with sympathy for the little girl, and she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Maddison into her lap. Maddison immediately curled up, wrapping her arms around Jia's torso, pulling her close.

"What was wrong?" Jia asked gently.

"There was a monster," Maddison sniffed. "He was trying to eat me."

Jia sighed and genly petted the little girl's hair. _You shouldn't be having nightmares yet,_ she thought. _Your dreams should be full of flowers and rainbows and cookies._

"Here, go back to sleep," Jia said, gently pushing Maddison off her lap, back onto the bed. She tucked the blanket in around the little girl and kissed her forehead.

She was preparing to leave when Maddison asked, "Can you sing?"

Jia hesitated, but then nodded. Maddison stared at her patiently while she sifted through songs in her head. She finally decided on one of her favorite country songs. It was sweet and gentle, and she knew all of it.

"_Today is my birthday,_

_And all that I want:_

_Is to dig through this big box of pictures in my kitchen_

'_till the daylight's gone._

_This one here's my momma;_

_With the long brown hair._

_I'm forty years older today than she was in that picture there._

_But if life satyed the way it was,_

_And lovers never fell out of love,_

_If memories didn't last so long,_

_Of nobody did nobody wrong,_

_If we knew what we had before it was gone,_

_If every road led back home,_

_This would be_

_The very last country song._

_These are all my babies._

_Lord knows how we survived._

_The first one was hard and the last wasn't planned,_

_What a big surprise._

_That's him with his daddy's eyes._

_I love the man in this one._

_It's faded but I don't care._

_There are nights when I wake up and know he's beside me,_

_I swear._

_Sometimes I still feel him there._

_But if life stayed the way it was,_

_And lovers never fell out of love,_

_If memories didn't last so long,_

_If nobody did nobody wrong,_

_If we knew what we had before it was gone,_

_If every road led back home, _

_This would be _

_The very lst country song._

_If we knew what we had before it was gone,_

_If every road led back home, _

_This would be _

_The very lst country song."_

Maddison's eyes had flickered shut, and Jia started to get up. But the little girl's eyes opened back up and she reached out a hand to Jia.

"Don't go," she pleaded. "If you do, the monster will come back to eat me."

Jia stared at the little girl, and then climbed into the bed with her.

"Can you sing more?" Maddison asked sleepily.

Jia nodded and chose another song. It had been Lavinia's favorite lullaby and Jia would sing it to her whenever she went to visit.

_"Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,_

_Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;_

_Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,_

___Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away._

_____Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,_

_List while I woo thee with soft melody;_

_________Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,_

___________Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me._

_____________Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me."_

Jia glanced at Maddison. The little girl was curled up with her head using Jia's shoulder as a pillow. She was almost asleep, but seemed to be trying to stay awake.

_"Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea_

___Mermaids are chanting the wild lorelie;_

_____Over the streamlet vapors are borne,_

_______Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn._

_________Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,_

___________E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;_

_____________Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,_

_Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me._

___Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me."_

The little girl's words "the monster will come back and eat me" bothered Jia. She shouldn't be having nightmares like that; not at that age. Jia looked at the now-sleeping girl, and gently stroked her curly hair.

"You and me both, _prima_," she said, calling her what she had used to call Lavinia. "You and me both have mosters we run from."


	17. Love Of An Assassin Pt 1

**Love Of An Assassin**

**(Pt. 1)**

Jia woke up the next morning as the sun started to rise, her internal body clock not allowing her to stay asleep. She took a deep breath through her nose, inhaling the scent of wildflowers. Startled, she looked down and saw Maddison's head tucked into the crook of her neck. She had forgotten about staying the night with the girl.

"Maddison," Jia said quietly.

The little girl blinked her eyes open, and then sat up. She yawned and stretched, her bones popping.

"What time do you usually get up?" Jia asked her.

Maddison looked at her clock-thing and then back up at Jia.

"About now," she answered.

She slid off her bed and padded over to her closet. Quickly, she slipped out of her nightgown and into her robes. Her long hair hung loose and she made a face at it.

"Do you want me to do your hair?" Jia offered, also getting up.

Maddison nodded eagerly and sat down on a stool near her window. Jia grabbed the hairbrush out of the refresher and came to kneel behind Maddison. Gently, she started pulling the brush thorugh Maddison's curls, working out the tangles and fluffing it up.

"Don't you usually have a braid or something?" Jia asked.

"Yeah, but I never do it," Maddison answered.

Jia walked around so she kneeled in front of Maddison and reached up, separating some strands of hair and then starting to braid them together. When she got to the bottom, Jia slipped two wooden beads she had found in one of the drawers of Maddison's dresser onto her hair, and then used some pale blue thread to tie it off. Jia then French braided the rest of Maddison's hair in a fishtail braid, leaving some strands out to frame the little girl's innocent face. When she was done, Maddison got up and looked at the tiny mirror in her refresher and smiled.

"It's so pretty," she said, turning back around to face Jia.

Jia returned her smile, and then turned around so Maddison wouldn't see the tear that had leaked out of her eye. She was so much like Lavinia; her hair, her voice, her smile, her face, her innocence, even her age was almost the exact same as Lavinia when she had been killed. Jia shook herself, forcing the bittersweet memories away.

"So what's for breakfast?" Jia asked Maddison.

Maddison shrugged and Jia suddenly had an idea.

"Let's go for a little ride," she said, leaning down to whisper in Maddison's ear and grasping the little girl's hand in hers.

"Where are we going?" Maddison asked, excited at the prospect of a little adventure.

"To get breakfast," Jia responded.

She stood up straight and led Maddison to the entrance of the Temple. Maddison suddenly stopped and backed up a few steps.

"I'm not allowed to leave without permission," she said.

Jia made a thoughtful face and then she said, "Okay. I'll go and bring you back something."

She started to continue walking to the entrance, but Maddison grabbed her.

"No," she said. "I don't want you to leave."

Jia stopped and stood patiently. She could see the little girl was seriously considering something.

"Okay, we'll go," she finally said.

Jia smiled and grabbed her hand again. She led them out of the Temple. At first, Maddison was worried the clones that guarded the enterance would see them, but Jia quickly taught the little girl how to maneuver out of range of their scanners. They crept through the shadows until Jia stood up straight. Maddison took that as the signal that they had made it safely past the guards.

"Wow," she said. "We actually made it out."

Jia just smiled at the little girl, and Maddison realized something. The way Jia held herself, the way she could move so fluidly in the shadows, almost as if she was a part of them, the way she had no problem bending the rules. Maddison suddenly knew her older friend wasn't a regular civilan girl.

"What are you?" she asked Jia.

Jia bit her lip, trying to figure out what to tell Maddison. Finally, she decided the truth would be the best; the little girl would eventually find out anyways.

"I am an assassin, little one," she said softly.

Maddison blinked. That would make sense. But she wasn't scared of Jia. She trusted her. The older girl might have done some bad things, but Maddison could see in her eyes that she was trying to find redemption.

"And I am a Jedi youngling," she stated. "And we are still friends."

Jia smiled and placed her hand on top of Maddison's head.

"You are right," she said. "Now, let's go get some breakfast before anyone realizes you're missing."

* * *

Jia walked to the little café she had killed the two men at. She figured she wasn't going to be welcomed, but she had been wearing half a disguise, so maybe no one would realize who she was. She pulled open the door, and Maddison stopped short.

The café had brightly colored walls and plants hanging from the walls and ceiling. It gave the little Jedi the sense of being in a warm, happy place. She quickly decided that this café was _her_ happy place.

Maddison got over her initial wonder and amazement, and continued into the café.

"What can I get for you two this morning?" a waitress asked as the two girls sat down.

"Maddison, what would you like?" Jia asked.

"Do you have candy?" Maddison asked the waitress.

The waitress laughed.

"Yes, I have candy, but I don't think that is good for breakfast," she said.

"Two things of the hot cereal, please," Jia said, smiling.

"But I want candy," Maddison half-whined.

The waitress shot a look at Jia, who nodded slightly.

"Your food will be here shortly," the waitress said, turning to walk away.

As soon as she left Jia smiled at Maddison.

"So you want some candy for breakfast?" she asked the little girl.

"Oh, I've never had any," Maddison answered. "I've just heard some of the Padawans talk about it. They said it's really good."

Jia laughed at that, and Maddison smiled. She had just made an assassin laugh, and that seemed like something of an accomplishment.

The waitress returned a couple of minutes later with two bowls of what looked to Jia like oatmeal mixed with grits. As she left, she slipped Jia a little bag filled with an assortment of candy, and in return Jia slid some money into her hand.

"So what time do you need to be back?" Jia asked as she and Maddison ate.

"I don't know," the little girl said, taking a huge bite of the hot cereal. She coughed and spit it back out, and Jia choked on her bite trying not to laugh.

"Is it too hot?" she asked.

Maddison nodded, and Jia bit her tongue to keep from laughing. Maddison scowled as soon as she realized Jia was finding the whole thing humorous.

"It's not funny," she said, pouting.

"Okay, you're right," Jia said, coughing once more to choke down her laughter.

"Aren't you going to say sorry?" Maddison asked.

"Nope," Jia said, taking another bite.

"Why?" Maddison questioned.

"Because apologizing," Jia said through her food, "is a sign of weakness."

Maddison looked confused, but then seemed to work it out for herself because the thoughtful crease that had appeared between her eyes disappeared. Eventually, they finished their breakfast, ad Maddison stood up.

"All done," she announced to Jia.

Jia smiled and also stood up. She threw some credits onto the table, grabbed Maddison's hand and started walking towards the door. She could feel someone's gaze on her. _Come on, _she thought, _almost out. Can't we do this without any commotion for once?_

"You look familiar," he finally said.

Jia turned around, her hand on the doorknob. _So close_. She decided it best to play innocent.

"Really?" Jia asked.

"Yes," the man said.

He took in Jia's outfit and the little girl who was holding her hand.

He looked thoughtful, and then he said, "Never mind. It must have been some one else."

Jia nodded, looked at him like he was crazy, and then continued out the door. Maddison didn't ask what that had been about. She wasn't really bothered by it. The sun was shning, but it wasn't too incredibly hot. Not yet, anyways. It was a nice morning, and Maddison found she didn't want to go back to the Temple quite yet. Breaking the rules had been fun. Maybe they could do it again tomorrow.

Jia led them back throught the street of Coruscant, and Maddison wondered how she knew where to go.

"Aren't you lost?" she finally asked.

Jia smiled; "I have a mostly-photographic memory and was trained to make mental maps and everything. I know exactly where we are."

"Oh," was all Maddison knew to say.

Trained to make mental maps. Maddison thought that was pretty neat. Along with the fact that this girl knew how to get around the clones' scanners. She wanted to learn how to do that.

"Could you teach me?" she asked Jia.

"Maybe when you're older," Jia answered. "Otherwise it might distract you from your training."

Maddison sighed, and Jia looked at her in amusement.

"Well, I don't want to go back yet," Maddison declared.

"Well, that's good," Jia said, smiling. "Because I was planning on taking you to meet a friend of mine."

Maddison, still holding Jia's hand, jumped up and down in excitement, and Jia 's smile widened. She led them to an apartment and up some stair, to a big wooden door. Maddison watched curiously as Jia knocked on the door, and then stepped back and waited. A few moments later, the door opened revealing someone about Jia's age. She had tan skin with an undercurrent of orange, and white-blond hair with blue streaks in it. She had deep brown eyes that rivaled Maddison's, and Maddison could sense that she was very happy to see Jia.

"Hey," said, ushering them in. She turned her gaze onto Maddison, and smiled. "Who's this, Jia?" she asked.

Jia walked through the door, bringing Maddison with her. She went and sat down on the couch in the living room, and Maddison got the sense that she had been here before.

"This is Maddison, Jedi youngling," she answered the girl.

"Hi, Maddison," the girl said. "I'm Lylla."

"Hi, Lylla," Maddison said a little shyly.

"What are you doing here?" Lylla asked, turning her attention back to Jia. "You said you were leaving today."

"You are?" Maddison interrupted, looking at Jia with pleading eyes.

"Not anymore," Jia said, answering both of them, but keeping her gaze on Lylla.

"What changed?" Lylla asked. But then she glanced swiftly at Maddison and then back up at Jia. Jia blinked once, and Lylla smiled. "Well, Maddison, those robes are looking very worn. How would you like to go shopping?"

Maddison's eyes lit up and she returned Lylla's smile.

"Yes!" she said excitedly, hopping in circles around Lylla.

Lylla laughed and said, "Okay, let me grab my purse and we can go."

"We'll only have about an hour and then little Ms. Jedi needs to get back to the Temple or the fact that she's gone is going to be noticed," Jia said.

"You mean you snuck a little girl out of the Jedi Temple?" Lylla asked, pretending to be shocked.

Jia nodded and hung her head in mock shame. Lylla look disappointed and smacked Jia on the back of the head.

"Ow," Jia said, rubbing the back of her head.

"That's what you get," Lylla said.

Both girls looked at each other for a moment, and then burst out laughing. Maddison didn't get what was so funny, but it was nice to see Jia laugh again.

"Let's go," she half-whined.

Jia shook her head slightly and grabbed a bag she had been carrying with her since leaving the little café. Lylla disappeared into another room and reappeared a moment later with a bright orange purse.

"Okay, let's go," she said, opening the door and leading everyone out.

Maddison grabbed Jia's hand again and pulled her out the door, eager to go shopping. She had never been, but, like the candy, she had heard some of the Padawans talking about it. She couldn't wait to get back with whatever she was going to get. Her friends would be so jealous. But she would share. She always shared. That was one reason she got along so well with everyone. Another reason was the fact that she was always smiling. Master Kit Fisto had once told her that most people instinctively gravitate towards people who are happy and caring.

Lylla climbed into her speeder. She had kept the one from when she was "Anwar Bo" along with the phony I.D. and brith certificate and everything just in case she ever needed to use them again. Most of her friends asked her how she got sucha nice speeder, and what had happened to her old one, and all she told them was that she had connections. It sounded good, and made people more cautious of her.

"Maddison, you get to sit in between me and Jia," she said as she started the engine.

Jia hopped into the speeder easily, and then turned around to pick Maddison up. She lifted Maddison over the edge and set her in the seat next to her. Maddison immediately snuggled up against Jia, hugging her tightly in excitement and anticipation. Jia chuckled and absent-mindedly petted Maddison's hair with one hand.

Maddison stared at Jia's other hand, fascinated by the strange discoloration on it. She looked harder, and realized that the discolorations were scars.

"What happened to your hand?" she asked Jia, tracing a scar that spiraled up her hand and wrist to stop at her mid-forearm.

"It's just scars from life," Jia said. Her voice was neutral, normal even, but, even if she wasn't fully trained, Maddison was a Jedi and she could pick up that Jia wasn't telling her something. Cautiousness and carefulness were also in her voice. They weren't radiateing off her, it was just something Maddison could pick up in her voice.

"Okay," she said. She decided not to ask about any more scars.

They arrived at a store a little while later. It was big and white, with gold trimming. People who wore big, fancy clothing and had fancy looking pets walked in and out of the store, and covered the sidewalks.

"This is fancy," Maddison said quetly.

"And you can choose whatever you want from it," Lylla said, parking the speeder. She hopped out and picked up Maddison and set her on the ground. Jia climbed out, her eyes darting around.

"We good?" Lylla asked.

Maddison looked back and forth between the two teenagers. Something had happened and she was completely missing the big picture.

"Senator Amidala is around here somewhere, according to my phone," Jia said, looking up from a flat, square object she held in her hand. "That means clone troopers which means, however slim, the change of recognition of me and/or Maddison."

"What's a phone?" Maddison asked.

"Technology from my world," Jia said, glancing at her quickly. "I use it when I don't have my laptop with me."

"What's a laptop?" Maddison asked.

"A type of computer," Jia answered.

"But other than that, we're good?" Lylla asked, interrupting Maddison's flow of questions.

"We should be," Jia said. "But if anything goes wrong, you grab her and you get out."

"And what would you be doing while we get out?" Lylla asked.

"Making sure they don't find you," Jia answered.

"Why are we being so careful?" Maddison asked.

"It's nothing," Jia and Lylla said at the same time. They glanced at each other, and Jia's mouth twisted up into a half-smile.

"We're just making sure you don't get in trouble," Jia said.

"Why would I get in trouble?" Maddison asked.

"I did some things a couple months ago, and I am, uh… wanted by the authorities," Jia said.

Maddison just giggled at that, grabbed one of Jia's hands and of Lylla's hands, and pulled them into the store. Two greeters were at the door, and they looked at Maddison with amusement as she pulled the two older girls through the door.

"Woah," Maddison breathed, stopping short.

Everything sparkled and glittered. The clothing was fancy and beautiful; nothing like any of the other younglings wore. The things they had for entertainment were somethings she had only ever dreamed of being able to have. And they even had pets in one area. Maddison immediately ran over to the pets. Jia sighed, but a smile was playing on her lips, and followed.

"Oh look," Maddison said looking at all the different animals.

They were all babies, newly born. Jia could tell by the fact that they couldn't yet stand and most still had their eyes closed.

"Would you like one, little girl?" the breeder asked Maddison.

"Yes," she said.

She turned to look at Jia and Lylla with pleading eyes.

"Are you sure animals are allowed in the Temple?" Jia asked.

"If not, oh well," Maddison said fiercely.

"She's learning from you," Lylla said, elbowing Jia in the ribs. She snorted and elbowed Lylla back.

"Please, please, _please_," Maddison begged.

Jia's rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat.

"Oh, alright, fine."

"Yay!" Maddison cried, jumping up and hugging Jia tightly, and then hugging Lylla.

"Which one, pretty little lady?" the breeder asked.

He opened the gate to the pen and Maddison stepped in. She sat down in the middle, carefully studying each animal. It only took her about thirty seconds to notice that one of them, the youngest, it looked like, was struggling to make it's way over to Maddison.

"That one," she said softly, pointing at it.

The breeder picked ut up and placed it in Maddison's lap. The animal reminded Jia of a dog; a Schnauzer mixed with a Doberman, to be exact.

"Are you sure?" the breeder asked. "They can vicious if not trained correctly."

"Well, I'll just have to train it correctly, won't I?" Maddison asked.

The breeder chuckled, and Maddison took that as his okay. She stood up, gently cradling the animal in her arms. The breeder gave her a green blanket, and she wrapped the thing in it.

"That is the only female in here," the breeder said as Maddison hugged the little animal to her chest.

"What should I name her?" she asked looking over at Jia and Lylla.

They both shrugged, and Lylla said, "It's your choice."

Maddison looked thoughtful for a moment, and then she asked Jia, "What did you call me last night? After you were done singing to me."

"Prima," Jia answered.

Maddison smiled and gently ran her finger down the animal's tiny snout.

"Prima," she said. "I'm naming her Prima."

"That means cousin in a language on my planet, though," Jia said.

"And?" Maddison asked.

Jia just smiled and hugged Maddison with one arm.

"Okay. Why don't you and Prima come with me and Lylla and we can get you some clothes." She turned to the breeder and started to pay for the animal, but he held up his hands.

"It is good to see little children taking an interest in raising animals. Besides, are you not the girl who saved the Chancellor from the kidnapper?" he asked.

Jia paused and said slowly, "I am."

"Then take it for free," the breeder said. "My gift of thanks."

"Thank you," Lylla said, speaking up from where she was standing behind Jia.

The breeder just smiled and nodded at them. Jia shrugged and turned away, joining Maddison and Lylla in the clothing area.

* * *

Jia led Maddison back into the hallways.

"Okay, where are you supposed to be?" Jia asked Maddison softly.

"Lightsaber training with Master Yoda, I think," Maddison answered.

"You think?" Jia asked her.

"Well, I might have to be with Master-," Maddison started, but Jia cut her off and just rolled her eyes.

They crept down the hallway to Maddison's dorm to dump Maddison's new stuff and Prima. Maddison had ended up walking away with three giant bags full of new clothing to wear. They put the bags on Maddison's bed, and Maddison handed Prima to Jia, who placed the sleeping animal on the bed also.

"You know," a voice said, startling the two girls as they exited Maddison's dorm, "taking a youngling out of the Temple without permission is against the regulations."

Jia tensed and turned around slowly. Jacob was standing behind them with his arms crossed. In the daylight, Jia was able to get a better look at him. Now she saw the reason she hadn't been able to spot him the night before: he wore dark maroon robes and had coated the hilt of his lightsaber in black, non-shiny paint.

"Oh, and you're what? Going to turn me in to the Jedi Council?" Jia asked.

Maddison took a step back, so she was mostly hidden behind Jia. Jia reached behind her to gently push the little girl towards where they had been headed. Maddison took the hint and quickly retreated to her lesson.

"No," Jacob said, starting to walk in slow circles around Jia. She stood perfectly still, keeping her head up and her gaze directly in front of her. He stopped on her right side, and reached out a hand. Jia stiffened, expecting violence, but instead he gently moved her hair around so it was over her left shoulder, revealing a long scar that ran down her head, behind her ear, from the top of her ear to the base of her skull. Jacob moved his hand from her hair and gently and slowly traced the scar. Jia remained rigid, not even blinking.

"Why so tense?" Jacob teased quietly. "Scared I'm going to hurt you?"

"When you've done what I've done, and been through what I have," Jia said tensely, "there is no fear, only readiness and awareness."

Jacob's teasing smile faltered for a moment as he realized she was speaking the truth.

"You think I am going to harm you." It was a statement, not a question.

"Well, you _are_ trying to mess with my mind," Jia muttered.

Jacob didn't bother to ask how she knew that. When he had first spotted her in the hallway, he had immediately picked up that she was something other than a regular, civilan, teenage girl. His hand remained at the base of her skull, not moving; but it was relaxed, and she could tell he wouldn't hurt her. She relaxed a little and started to turn around. As soon as she started to turn her head, Jacob brought his other hand up and placed it on her shoulder. Jia froze, tense again.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jacob lean in, and suddenly she felt his breath hot on her ear.

"Fear," he whispered, "is what you have. You have fear, and that causes monsters, and that causes you to run."

Jia started to breath heavier, freaked out about the fact that he could read her so easily and that he knew exactly how to mess with her head. It wasn't in her training to freak out. The assassin that was in her would never freak out. But rght now she wasn't an assassin. She was opening up to Maddison and Lylla, and she was becoming a sister again; an average teenage girl. She was at her weakest as she relearned how to love. And she knew that Jacob knew. She knew he could sense it.

Jacob leaned away from her, but moved his hands up into her hair.

"Please," Jia said, trying hard to keep her voice from breaking, "go away."

Jacob didn't step away. Instead, he moved her hair so it hung down her back again and gently threaded his hands through it. Jia didn't like it. She knew everything he was doing- the way he was standing close to her, the way he was talking to her, the way he was touching her, the way he changed the volume of his voice- was all to mess with her head. She knew that, but she couldn't stop herself from reacting exactly the way he wanted.

"I'm sorry," Jacob said, taking a step back.

"You got inside my head," Jia whispered, not moving from her rigid stance; she started tembling. "You got inside my head and manipulated me."

"I didn't mean to," Jacob said.

"Don't try to lie to me," Jia snapped, her eyes flashing. Jacob breathed a silent sigh of relief. This was the girl he knew from the hall the night before.

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" he retorted, glad that the sassy, snappy version of Jia was back.

Jia didn't answer; instead she crossed her arms and glared at Jacob.

"You owe me," she said.

"For what?" Jacob asked.

"For messing with my head," Jia huffed.

"I'm sorry," Jacob said again, all teasing gone, replaced by seriousness.

"Don't apologize," Jia said, holding up her hands to stop him. She turned and started walking down the hallway.

"Why not?" Jacob asked, yelling after her retreating form.

Jia turned around, a smile playing on her lips as she called back to him, "Because apologizing is a sign of weakness. "

* * *

Jia sat silently in the back of an empty room. The silence was a nice change from the sudden flurry of activity that filled her days. She looked up when she heard approaching footsteps, and the next moment, the Jedi she had spoken to the night before entered the room, followed by a group of teenagers about her age.

She groaned inwardly, but remained silent and still. They hadn't noticed she was in there.

"Okay, one of the most impoartan things to remember when engaging your enemy is to anticipate their next move," Kit Fisto told the group after they had gotten settled. "Use anything and everything you can: eye movement, muscle twitches, and shift in weight. Anything."

Jia sat up straighter and listened with interest. _Their only being taught this now? This was the first thing Red, Eagle, and Wolffe taught me when I first joined._

"How would that help?" a girl near the front of the group asked. She was the same species as the Jedi Master, _whatever species that is,_ Jia thought, except she was purple.

"He speaks the truth," Jia said from where she was sitting. Everyone spun around to look at her, and she got up and stretched nonchalantly. "When you can anticipate, you can know, and when you can know, you can rarely lose."

"Care to explain, young one?" Kit Fisto asked, surprised by her appearance and her knowledge on the subjet.

"Oh, but where would be the fun in that?" Jia asked him, slowly sauntering up to the fron of the room. "Let them figure it out."

"Since you seem to know so much, why don't you demonstrate?" the purple girl asked.

"Well, Purple, the reason I don't demonstrate is because I haven't been given permission to," Jia answered, reaching the front of the room.

"You have my permission," Kit Fisto said, stepping to the side.

Immediately, the group parted, allowing the two girls enough space in the middle of room to spar. The purple girl walked into the center of the room and ignited her lightsaber, holding it across her body in a defensive stance. Jia took her time to walk into the center of the room, much to the annoyance of the other girl.

Jia stood with her hands clasped behind her back, staring levely at Purple. She was still wearing her black skirt and white shirt, but she had left her boots and socks in Maddison's room, so she was bare foot. Her knife was still at her side, and she knew that Purple didn't know she even had a weapon.

"Ready when you are," Jia said calmly.

Her eyes seemed defocused, and they stared at the wall above Purple's head, but she could see everything perfectly. She saw the way Purple rolled her weight onto her heels and tensed her leg muscles. She saw the way Purple tightened her gip on the hilt of her lightsaber. And she saw the way Purple's eyes darted quickly to Jia's right, before moving back to her face.

Then Purple attacked. Jia quickly side-stepped and ducked as Purple swung at her. She dropped to the floor in a push-up position and then pushed up from the ground, turning in the air, kicking Purple in the chest and stomach. Purple stumbled back but regained her balance and jabbed her lightsaber at Jia. It was close enough Jia could feel the heat from it, but she managed to arch her back and slide under it before it could touch her.

She knew this was a practice round, but this girl seemed to be fighting to kill. Jia was jerked out of her quick observation when Purple swung her lightsaber in a figure-eight, missing Jia by a centimeter. Jia ground her teeth and dropped to the floor again, this time rolling into Purple's legs. Purple fell down, but managed to maneuver her body so she was able to pin Jia down.

Jia struggled but it was no use. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Wolffe had taught her fighting to fight did no good; you either had to fight to win, or to kill, and most times those two were linked together. Another thing Wolffe had taught her was that anger was good, hatred was good, annoyance, frustration, fear; all that was good. It sharpened the senses and put adrenaline through the veins.

"Given up?" Purple asked in a mocking tone.

Jia didn't answer right away. She wasn't a Jedi; she didn't need to suppress her anger. She could use it. She could use her hatred against Wolffe, and her annoyance at Rex, and her fear of Jacob; she could use all that right now, in this fight. And she did. She reopened her eyes.

"Not yet," she hissed.

She relaxed her back and then arched it up quickly, throwing Purple off. Purple's lightsaber flew out of her hand and landed at Jia's feet, but she didn't spare a glance at it. She kicked it to the wall behind her and approached Purple, taking her time. Purple got up and held out one hand, calling her lightsaber to her. It flew through the air and smacked into her palm. She charged at Jia, her lightsaber spinning in her hand. She swung at Jia, and Jia ducked behind her. She reached out a hand and grabbed the wrist that held the lightsaber. She pressed hard, forcing Purple to release the lightsaber. It clattered the floor, automatically deactivating.

Now it was all hand-to-hand combat. Purple swung around and lunched for Jia. Jia side-stepped and leapt over her, landing and rolling into a crouch. She tensed her legs and then jumped. Up. She grabbed onto a pipe that hung low from the ceiling and swung her legs up. She wrapped her legs around the pipe and released her hands so she was hanging upside down. She had forgotten she was wearing a skirt until a collective gasp came from the watching Padawan. _This is why I don't wear skirts,_ she mentally growled to herself.

Jia dragged her thoughts away from the fact that everyone could see her underwear and grabbed her knife out of its pouch. She flipped out the blade, relishing the way it flashed silver in the afternoon light that came through the window. She always had been fascinated by the way light could play off blades and knives.

Suddenly, something inside her snapped into place. She released her legs and fell to the floor, landing lightly in a handstand and then doing the last bit of a front hand-spring. She felt the adrenaline pumping through her blood and she felt the weight of the knife in her hand. Suddenly, she wasn't the weak teenage girl she had been a couple hours ago. She was an assassin again. Cold, calculating, unforgiving; a killing machine, groomed to kill effortlessly. And it felt good.

* * *

_So, I left it at a sort of cliff hanger just cause thia chapter was starting to get long. I wrote the scene where Jacob is messing with Jia's head to show that even though she is an assassin and, like, super though and all that, she is still vulnerable. The last scene I had super fun writing just because she becomes the killer that she hates herself for. I know that there are her memories and everything, but this is just the tiniest bit different. Anyways, hope you like it. _


	18. Love Of An Assassin Pt 2

_Sorry it took me longer than usual to update. Again. My great-grandma is dying and so life is crazy, crazy, crazy. But here it is. Chapter 18. It is a little darker than the last chapter, and three new characters are introduced. But, I think this is one of my favorite chapters. Oh, and it's longer than usual. Two times longer, actually. Enjoy._

**Love Of An Assassin**

**(Pt. 2)**

_Previously:_

"_Let's go for a little ride," she said, leaning down to whisper in Maddison's ear and grasping the little girl's hand in hers. _

_###_

"_What are you?" she asked Jia._

_Jia bit her lip, trying to figure out what to tell Maddison. Finally, she decided the truth would be the best; the little girl would eventually find out anyways._

"_I am an assassin, little one," she said softly._

_###_

"_This is Maddison, Jedi youngling," she answered the girl._

"_Hi, Maddison," the girl said. "I'm Lylla."_

_###_

"_Would you like one, little girl?" the breeder asked Maddison._

"_Yes," she said._

_###_

_Maddison smiled and gently ran her finger down the animal's tiny snout._

"_Prima," she said. "I'm naming her Prima."_

_###_

"_You know," a voice said, startling the two girls as they exited Maddison's dorm, "taking a youngling out of the Temple without permission is against the regulations."_

_###_

"_Fear," he whispered, "is what you have. You have fear, and that causes monsters, and that causes you to run."_

_###_

"_He speaks the truth," Jia said from where she was sitting. Everyone spun around to look at her, and she got up and stretched nonchalantly. "When you can anticipate, you can know, and when you can know, you can rarely lose."_

_###_

_Wolffe had taught her fighting to fight did no good; you either had to fight to win, or to kill, and most times those two were linked together. Another thing Wolffe had taught her was that anger was good, hatred was good, annoyance, frustration, fear; all that was good._

_###_

_She felt the adrenaline pumping through her blood and she felt the weight of the knife in her hand. Suddenly, she wasn't the weak teenage girl she had been a couple hours ago. She was an assassin again. Cold, calculating, unforgiving; a killing machine, groomed to kill effortlessly. And it felt good._

* * *

Purple seemed to sense the sudden change in Jia. She backed up a couple steps and called her lightsaber to her again. She clutched it so tightly that it hurt her knuckles. The other Padawan were suddenly wary of Jia, and Kit Fisto was poised to lunge in case things got out of hand.

Purple's eyes quickly darted to the knife in Jia's hand, and then back up to her face. Nothing had changed outwardly. _What were you expecting? _Purple asked herself sarcastically. _Her to have yellow eyes like a Sith?_ But there was a different air about Jia. Her muscles were more relaxed, her eyes more narrowed. The knife was gripped loosely in her hand, which hung loosely at her side.

Purple went back to her eyes. She had seen them as a shining blue when they had first started fighting. Jia's eyes were actually very pretty, she had to admit. But now they were a midnight blue; nearly black. And they didn't show any emotion. Before, they had been flashing in frustration and pent up anger and hatred. Now they were calm. Too calm.

"I'm not moving 'till you do," Jia said, patiently waiting.

Her voice wasn't any different either. Everything seemed normal. Except her eyes. Her eyes had changed.

Purple shook herself and lunged for Jia. She slashed and swung in quick, practiced moves, her blade cutting through the air with a whirring sound. But Jia was never hit. She watched Purple carefully, seeing how she tensed her muscles and using that to guess where her next strike would be. She twirled, spun, and ducked, dancing out of the way. Suddenly, she was behind Purple, but Purple sensed her a moment before her knife flashed out. She used her lightsaber, trying to cut the knife in half, but Jia withdrew it a moment before it was too late.

She grimaced as she realized her knife wasn't going to help her. Quickly, she flipped the blade back into the hilt and slid it back into its pouch.

Purple swung her blade downwards, aiming for Jia's ankles, but Jia did a back-hand-spring over the blade, landing on her shoulder and rolling into Purple's legs. Purple was expecting that and jumped up. Jia rolled under her, and twisted out of the way right before the lightsaber came down on her.

The two girls paused, breathing heavily, staring each other down. Suddenly Jia lunged. Thinking she was lunging to knock her down again, Purple brought her lightsaber down to stop Jia. But Jia, expecting that move, contracted her stomach muscles in mid-air, moving her body just slightly so she was able to grab Purple's wrist that held the lightsaber as she landed.

She twisted her wrist up at an impossible angle, and Purple released the lightsaber automatically, not wanting a broken wrist. Jia grabed the lightsaber as it fell, but deactivated it and clipped it onto her waistline along with her knife.

"What are you doing?" Purple gasped out.

"Now we're on even playing grounds," Jia said, crouching down rolling her weight onto her toes and preparing to leap.

Purple also crouched down, readying herself to lunge. She jumped first, aimed towards where Jia was. A micro-second afterwards, Jia jumped, turning her body sideways and turning like a torpedo, completely jumping over Purple's flying form. Before Purple had a chance to regain her footing, Jia was on her. She sat on Purple's stomach, placing her knees on Purple's elbows, effectively pinning her down. She activated the lightsaber and held it up to Purple's throat, close enough Purple could feel the heat from the laser beam.

"Young one," Kit Fisto said sharply, starting to move from his position, but Jia ignored him.

"You were fighting to fight, fighting to prove something," Jia said, calmly, to Purple. She made sure she spoke loud enough everyone could hear her. "And you weren't watching me. You might be a Jedi, but I'm an assassin. I know how to fight, and when I do fight, it's usually to kill."

"Are you going to kill me?" Purple gulped.

Everyone seemed to stop breathing as the question was asked, waiting for Jia's answer. Jia laughed softly and looked down at the lightsaber blade.

"Stop now before you lose control," Kit Fisto ordered Jia, taking another step towards her.

"I am in control of myself," Jia said.

With that, she stood up, and reached down a hand to help Purple up off the ground. Purple accepted her help and Jia pulled her up easily. She deactivated the lightsaber and tossed it to Purple, who caught it easily and looked at her questioningly.

"Go ahead and ask whatever question is bothering you," Jia said.

"Your eyes changed in the middle of the fight. They turned almost black, but they are blue again," Purple said, confused.

"They changed because I did," Jia said after a moment of silence.

"How did you change?" Purple asked.

"For the last couple months, I have been trying to be a teenage girl again. But I am not one. I am an assassin, trained to kill. And in the middle of the fight, I became that assassin again," Jia answered.

"So you did lose control," a watching Padawan said from his position against the wall.

Jia turned around to look at him and smiled in a non-friendly way.

"No, I didn't," she argued.

"But you just said-," he started to contradict, but Jia cut him off.

"If I had lost control you would know because-" she nodded towards Purple "-she would already be dead."

* * *

Jia stood on a thin railing that over-looked a big, foryer looking area in the Jedi Temple. She had one arm wrapped around a pillar for support as she watched Jedi of all different ages walk around below. She studied them, watching as some laughed, some argued, some became annoyed, some walked with a purpose, some just walked, some wandered, etc.

She sighed as she felt someone's gaze on her. It was coming from behind her, and she recognized the feeling of fear that bubbled up in her stomach. Swallowing, she pushed it down and carefully turned around on the railing to see Jacob leaning up against the wall, watching her intently.

It had been six days since her "demonstration" on how anticipation could help someone win a fight, and she had taken to exploring the many different hallways and rooms of the Jedi Temple. She had also taken up residence with Maddison and Prima, bringing a suitcase full of clothes and her laptop.

Maddison had been choosing Jia's outfits for her. Today she had chosen a pair of skinny jeans, a pink cami, and brown, knit sweater. The the stitches were wide and far apart, so the bright pink of the cami could be seen through the brown shirt. Madison had also chosen black leather boots that had three inch heels and went up to right below her knees.

_I am never letting her chose my outfits again,_ Jia thought as she jumped down from the railing. She landed lightly and silently, despite the heels.

"Yes?" she asked.

Jacob was standing a relaxed position with his arms loosely at his sides. He knew he had truly scared Jia six days ago, and we wanted her to trust him, not fear him; and he made sure his posture was friendly, not threatening.

"Just wondering why you're still here," he said, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Am I allowed to hit you?" Jia asked after a pause.

Jacob smiled and took a step towards Jia.

"Give it your best," he said.

Jia tipped her head to the side, biting her lip to keep her mouth from quirking up into a smile. She slowly approached Jacob, keeping her hands clasped behind her back. She stopped a foot away from Jacob, and then flashed out her hand and hit Jacob across the face.

"That's for messing with my mind."

She hit him a second time.

"That's for causing me to be scared of you."

She raised her ahnd to strike him a third time, but he caught her wrist in his hand. Her eyes glittered with amusement, and he knew they were back on even playing ground. As long as he didn't do what he had done six days ago, they could be friends.

He leaned in, bringing his face close to hers. Jia kept her gaze steady and the corner of her lips lifted up in smirk.

"Feel better?" Jacob asked.

"No," Jia said.

She brought her other hand up and hit Jacob on the back of the head.

"Now I do," she said.

Jacob let out a breath of laughter and released Jia's wrist. Jia turned her head to the side slightly and looked at Jacob through narrowed eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"You just let me hit you three times," she said.

"Two times," Jacob corrected. "I stopped the third time."

"I still hit you."

"But I didn't let you."

Jia let out a raspberry of defeat, spraying spit all over Jacob's face. He coughed and took a step back. Jia smiled, stuck her tongue out at him like a five-year-old, and took of running down the hall. Jacob made a face of mock disbelief and chased after her. Using the Force, he managed to catch up to her, but right before he grabbed her, she flipped herself over the railing. Jacob skidded to a stop and stared over the railing in shock. He couldn't see Jia anywhere.

Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder. He spun around to see Jia standing behind him, a smug smile plastered on her face.

"It's on," Jacob hissed and lunged for her.

Laughing, Jia spun out of his way and took off down the hall again. Jacob wasted no time in running after her. He eventually caught her and grabbed for her wrist again. Jia tried to spin out of the way of his hand, but it was no use. Jacob took hold on her wrist, spun her again and pinned her back up against the wall.

"Fine," Jia muttered mutinously after several minutes of unsuccessful squirming. "You win."

Jacob smirked and released Jia. She rotated her wrists as the blood flowed back into her hands.

"Next time, don't squeeze so tight," she said, wincing.

Jacob reached out and gently held Jia's hand in his, examinging her wrist. Red marks the shape of his fingers marked her skin.

"Oh, sor-," he started to apologize, but Jia put two fingers to his lips, silencing him.

"Remember what I told you about apologizing?" she asked.

Jacob nodded and she removed her fingers.

"Good," she said. "Well, I should probably go find Maddison. She'll freak if I'm not there before she falls asleep. 'Night, Jacob."

"'Night," Jacob said.

Jia yawned and turned, slowly meandering down the hall to Maddison's dorm.

* * *

"Jia, Jia, Jia," Maddison said breathlessly, throwing herself at Jia.

Jia caught Maddison, stumbling backwards as she did so.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked Maddison.

"There are a bunch of people, Padawan and younglings, outside my dorm," Maddison said, looking at Jia with wide, troubled eyes. "I can't get in."

Jia ruffled Maddison's hair and said, "Don't worry. I'll fight them all away if I have to."

She crouched down, and Maddison scrambled up onto her back. She walked slowly towards the crowd around the entrance to Maddison's dorm, making sure she approached undetected.

"Excuse me," she said loudly.

Everyone stopped talking and turned around to face her. Jia put on her annoyed face and narrowed her eyes at the group.

"We would like to get through if you don't mind," she said after a moment of silence.

Silently, the group parted, allowing Maddison and Jia access to the dorm.

"We want a duel," someone said as Jia slid Maddison off her back and placed her on the floor of her dorm.

"You want a what?" she asked.

"A duel," the person repeated.

"Okay?" Jia said, ending it more like a question.

"Oh, come on," a familiar voice said from the back of the crowd. Jia stood on her tiptoes and saw Jacob grinning slyly at her. "Assassin girl like you, scared to fight a half-trained Jedi?"

"No," Jia answered calmly.

"Then it's set," Jacob said. "Later tonight, in the main hallway."

"And who am I fighting?" Jia asked.

"Me," Jacob answered, as if it was obvious.

Jia nodded once, and then said, "It won't be much of a duel. I have a pocketknife; you have a laser sword."

"You can use mine," someone offered from the front of the group.

Jia stared at them for a moment, and then accepted the weapon from their outstretched hand.

"Okay, tonight, main hall," she said, weighing the lightsaber in her hand. She looked up and locked gazes with Jacob, her eyes glittering with excitement. "You're on."

* * *

Jia spun and ducked, using her borrowed lightsaber to block Jacob's spinning blade. He was getting tired, she could tell. They had been fighting for twenty-seven minutes and nineteen seconds so far; Jia was keeping track. She leapt up and sideways as Jacob swung his lightsaber at her. It missed her shoulder, which had been his target, but hit her across her shoulder blade.

Jia let out a yelp of pain and lurched forwards, blinking the tears out of her eyes. Jacob took advantage of her momentary distraction and leapt on her. They landed on the ground, Jia on the bottom, and slid. Jacob tried to pin her down, but Jia jerked her head upwards and Jacob had to jump back to avoid being knocked unconscious.

Jia used his moment of unbalance and twisted sharply to the right, throwing Jacob off of her. Jacob used the Force to soften his landing, but he was still winded. He and Jia jumped up at the same time and lunged for each other. Their lightsabers clashed, and Jia winced at the noise it made.

She and Jacob danced around each other, jumping and spinning, lunging and ducking, until finally Jia got the upper hand. She grab Jacob's hand that had his lightsaber, and deactivated it. Then she twisted his arm up behind his back, pinning it there and pulling him against her. She held his lightsaber to his back, her finger on the button that activated it, and held her lightsaber, activated, up to his neck.

"I win," Jia said breathlessly.

"Now we're even," Jacob told her, referring to their earlier game of cat-and-mouse.

Jia smiled and she deactivated her lightsaber, but didn't release his arm. He looked at her, curious about what was going on.

"I'm still pissed at you," she said, stretching up on her toes to speak softly in his ear.

"Why?" Jacob asked.

"Because I just am," she said, huffing in his ear.

Jacob just sighed.

"Okay, your pissed, and going to get your revenge," he said with a sigh.

Jia nodded once and then released his arm. He stepped back form her and looked down to clip his lightsaber on his utility belt.

"You fight good for someone who's never used a lightsaber," he said, looking down.

"It's just another knife," Jia answered.

Jacob snorted in amusement, and started to say something else, but when he looked back up, Jia had already disappeared.

* * *

"_Go, get out of here," Jia cried, pushing Eagle and Red towards the exit. _

"_Archangel," Red said, "we can fight them. We can do this."_

"_They'll kill you if they catch you," Jia said, giving them another shove._

"_Oh, and they won't kill you?" Eagle snapped. "We got in this mess together, and that's how we're getting out."_

"_They won't kill me because I am a girl," Jia said. "They will torture me and keep me prisoner, and maybe eventually kill me, but not at first."_

"_Archangel-," Red started to try and reason with her again, but Jia placed her hand on the pouch that held her knife._

"_If you don't go now, I'll kill you as soon as I get out," she said in a low voice._

_Both boys new she meant her threat, and so they turned and ran. They stopped though, a safe distance away, and turned back around to face the warehouse that Jia was still in. They turned just in time to see someone grab her by her braid and pull her back sharpy against the tip of a knife. Unconsciousness was instantaneous for her, and the people bound and gagged her, and dragged her away. _

_Eagle and Red knew that wherever they were taking her, it was a place of nightmares. They knew she would come away with many scars; if she came away at all. And they knew that no matter how tough their partner was, she would eventually break. It was something her captors specialized at. _

* * *

Jia jerked herself awake, and managed to stumble into the refresher before she vomited up several mouthfuls into the toilet. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the side of the cool porcelain, breathing heavily. She got up after a moment and went to the sink, rinsing out her mouth and splashing cold water on her face.

She blamed Wolffe for that nightmare. He had made her retell the story of the mission-gone-wrong over and over again, until she remembered every detail perfectly, even through the haze of the pain and hunger and the want for death.

Jia walked back into the bedroom and saw Maddison sitting up and watching her. Prima was sitting up in her lap, staring at Jia with bright amber eyes.

"Are you okay?" Maddison asked in concern. Prima whimpered and widened her eyes, accentuating Maddison's question.

Jia walked over and gently pushed Maddison back down into a laying position. She slid Maddison's eyes closed and put Prima next to the little girl.

"I'm fine," she said softly.

"I could feel your pain," Maddison said sleepily. "It was really strong. I could have felt it from all the way across the Temple."

Jia froze at that. That would mean Jacob would have been able to sense her pain, too. She quickly kissed Maddison on the forhead and exited the dorm. She slid the door shut behind her and fell against it. She let her head fall back against the wall and she slid down the wall, bringing her knees up to her chest and closing her eyes. _3….2…1…_

"Jia, are you okay?" a voice asked. But it wasn't Jacob like she had expected; the voice belonged to Ahsoka.

"I'm fine," Jia said, opening her eyes and turning her head to look at Ahsoka.

"No, you aren't," Jacob argued, coming down the hall.

_Oh, now he comes_, Jia thought in annoyance.

"You should really go see Master Skywalker or someone," Ahsoka said.

"No Jedi Master," Jia said stubbornly.

"Yes," Ahsoka said, yanking Jia up off the ground and starting to pull her in the direction of the Council chamber.

"No," Jia repeated, digging her heels into the ground to stop Ahsoka from dragging her across the Temple.

"Come on," Jacob said, coming up behind her and giving her a none-too-gentle shove. Jia stumbled forwards before she regained her balance. Ahsoka gave another yank, pulling Jia down the hallway.

"Okay, okay," Jia muttered mutinously. "I'm coming."

Jacob and Ahsoka walked with her to the Council's meeting room, making sure she actually got there, she guessed.

"Are you sure they're even there?" Jia asked as Ahsoka was about to open the door. "I mean, it's the middle of the night."

"They're there," Jacob answered for Ahsoka, causing Ahsoka to glare at him. Jia huffed and took a step back as Ahsoka opened the door. The Council paused in whatever discussion they were having and looked at the three teenagers.

"Yes?" Mace Windu asked.

"Jia has something wrong with her mind," Ahsoka said before Jia could get a word out.

"Thanks," Jia said sarcastically, blinking.

"She means Jia is having another flashback," Jacob intervened before the two girls could start arguing.

"What was it about?" Plo Koon asked.

"Nothing," Jia muttered.

"Nothing?" Ahsoka asked incredulously. "I could feel your pain all the way from Master Skywalker's ship."

"And we could feel it here, young one," Kit Fisto added.

Jia just pressed her lips together and glared at all of them. She didn't want to tell them about it. She didn't want to remember. She tried to force her mind off that train of thought, but it was too late. The memories came flooding back, and she sank onto her knees, clutching the sides of her head as the pain and hurt came flooding into her mind, blocking everything else out.

"Jia," Ahsoka said in alarm, dropping to Jia's side.

Wasting no time, the Jedi used their Force abilities to reach out and jump into her mind, submerging themselves into whatever was bothering her this time.

* * *

"_You are a girl," one of her captors said, lighting a cigarette and putting it into his mouth. "Only a girl. Not even a woman yet."_

_Jia remained silent, not willing to cooperate with the people who had almost killed Eagle and Red. The man dropped his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. He leaned in close to Jia's face, and she turned her head, trying not to breathe in the smell of cigarette smoke. The man gripped her chin and roughly turned her head back to face him._

"_You will respond when I talk to you," he said in a low, dangerous voice. Jia just narrowed her eyes at him, and he released her chin and stood up._

"_You are smarter than the last one," he said. Jia didn't want to know about "the last one," but her captor knew that and he pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her. "Her name was Shilna. Very pretty. Not much older than you. But she made the mistake of smartassing off to me. She is buried behind this building, actually._

_She was caught after trying capture and interrogate one of ours. Like I said she was pretty, even when she was bleeding and half-starved. She was prettier naked."_

_Jia had to hold back the bile that was rising in her throat. This man had raped his last captor. Things were starting to look bleaker and bleaker for her._

"_She was tough, like you, and resilient, but she made the mistake of not cooperating," the man continued. "She eventually did break; oh, it was fun making her talk. Making her suffer. But after I got the information I needed, I had no use for her. Killing her was even better. Watching her writhe and scream with agony as fire consumed her body. It was absolutely beautiful to see."_

_Jia closed her eyes and let out a slow breath, forcing down the fear that was starting to build in the pit of her stomach. A feral grin spread across the man's face and he brought one hand down Jia's body, trailing it across her chest and down to her inner thighs. _

_Jia's breath hitched in her throat as his hand traveled up her thigh. But then he pulled back and watched her through narrowed eyes. _

"_I'm not going to do to you what I did to Shilna," he said. "I can tell you are different."_

_He reached around behind him and pulled out a knife. It was long and curved, and glinted in the dim, dusty light. The man brought up to Jia's face. He placed the cold blade against her cheek, letting her feel the tip, but not applying pressure. Yet._

_He skimmed the knife down her right arm, stopping at her wrist._

"_I will enjoy breaking you," he said. And then he pressed._

_Jia didn't make any noise. She locked her jaw and closed her eyes; and prayed that she would either pass out or the man would suddenly die. But she knew neither would happen. Her body rarely went into shock, and she rarely passed out from pain or any other thing. She also rarely threw up, which made having the stomach flu all the more painful. _

_The man dug the blade deeper into her flesh, angered that she wasn't responding the way he wanted. He dragged the knife up her arm, leaving a crimsom trail of blood. It took about three seconds before her blood was dripping onto the dirt floor of the cell she was in. The whole time Jia remained silent, trying to separate the pain from her body. _

_Furious now, the man moved the knife to Jia's other arm, trailing it up to her shoulder. Now she was bleeding from both arms, and it felt like fire was burning where the cuts were._

"_Now," the man said, withdrawing the blade from Jia's skin. "I want to know who your leader is."_

_Jia remained silent, keeping her jaw locked. She knew that if she opened her mouth, her resolve would probably break, and she would turn into the crying, weak girl this man wanted her to be. _

"_I said, I want to know who your leader is," the man repeated, moving the knife to the bottom of Jia's throat. She bit her tongue to keep from swallowing; the knife was so close that if she did give a big swallow, it would cut her throat._

_When Jia didn't answer the man moved the blade about two inches lower, so it was at the top of her sternum, and slowly started applying pressure. He drew the knife down th length of her sternum, the knife cutting her shirt at the same time it cut her skin, revealing her white sports bra. _

"_I do love the color white," the man said as he watched the blood spread and the bra soak it up. "It exaggerates beautifully how much blood there is."_

_Jia knew he was doing everything to try to get inside her head. He was trying to manipulate her through physical pain, mental hatred, and she was sure the emotional blow would come next. _

"_Are your partners worth it?" the man asked. Yup, the emotional blow. "The pain, the suffering. I bet they won't even come to look for you."_

_Jia ground her teeth because she knew he was right. A month ago, another female assassin, known by the name Willow, had disappeared in the middle of an op. Her partners, T and Swirl, had reported that they knew her location and all they needed was a week to gather the equipment and they could go rescue her from the jungle prison she was in. Wolffe had refused them permission to go, and just a week ago her body had been found on a beach in Florida. The medical examiner who had done the autopsy had discovered the message 'next time we don't kill one of yours so nicely' carved into her torso. The M.E. had confirmed that the cause of death had been bleeding to death from the cuts. He said she would have died slowly over a period of about a day and a half. _

_Jia had never personally met Willow, but she had heard that she was the best of the best. She was about twenty-three, and she had been working under Wolffe since she was thirteen. T and Swirl were her older siblings; twins. Jia had respected Willow. She had heard stories about the woman; stories that would have terrified her if she had not also been in the same "business." According to the stories, Willow's mother had been ex-Mossad, and had taught her children how to fight and use a gun by the time they were eight. _

_Jia had mourned Willow, along with Red and Eagle, who _had_ met the legendary woman, and placed a wreath of daisies (Willow's favorite flower) in the middle of the desert. She had then continued on the mission with Eagle and Red._

_T had called Red, who was like a little brother to him, saying how Swirl had gone crazy with grief. She had apparently been found unconscious in an alleyway after drinking herself stupid. As soon as she woke up, she tried to commit suicide to join her fallen sister. T had also reported how Wolffe had made a new rule that no attachments were to be made. One of his best assassins had been left in the jungle, sacrificing herself to protect her brother and sister, and her sister had tried to commit suicide. Jia understood the rule, but she also knew it was too late._

_And that had been proven. As soon as she told Red and Eagle to run and leave her in the warehouse. She found it funny in a non-humorous way how the people who had her as prisoner were Mossad, just like Willow's mother. Technically, she had a connection to Mossad, but she knew they would never see it that way._

_Jia was so lost in thought that she had forgotten about the man and the knife. Now she remembered as she felt him grab a handful of her hair and yank her head back. _

"_I am tired of this, girl," he snarled in her face. "Just speak already."_

_Jia refused, glaring at him with pure hatred and loathing. She wanted him dead. The man let out a breath of harsh laughter when she remained silent. Slowly, he brought his knife up to behind her ear. He rested the tip of it at the top of her ear, slowly starting to cut into the skin. He pulled the knife through her hair, down the base of her skull. Jia had remained silent up until now, but suddenly the pain was too much. She let out a low moan of pain as the man dug his knife in deeper._

"_Finally," the man said with a satisfied sigh. "Now, all you have to do is tell me who your leader is, and the pain stops."_

_But Jia knew that wasn't true. The pain would only stop for a few minutes, and then he would continue in the torture he found so enjoyable. Eventually, Jia managed to separate her mind form the pain, and as soon as she did, she half-passed out, half-fell asleep._

* * *

The Jedi all withdrew from her mind, and glanced at each other. That was worse than they had thought it would be. They were all shocked, except Obi-wan, who had been in her mind twice before.

"That was a memory?" Jacob asked in disbelief. He suddenly remembered the fear in her eyes when he had touched the scar. She hadn't been afraid of _him,_ she had been afraid of _what he would do_. The scar was associated with a horrific memory.

"It's not over yet," Jia whispered in a pained voice.

"What do you mean?" Ahsoka asked.

"You wanted to see what was bothering me, you might as well see the whole thing," Jia snapped, sounding more like herself.

The Council sighed. They weren't exactly eager to continue watching her get tortured.

"That's how you got the scar," Jacob said.

"Which one?" Jia asked sarcastically. Jacob gave her the 'you know what I'm talking about' look, and she smiled a little bit.

"Half the scars on my body are from that place," Jia said.

Ahsoka winced when she realized just how much torture Jia had had to go through.

"Well, come on," Jia said. "I'll start a month after you guys came out of my mind."

She closed her eyes, drawing the memory back, even though it was painful. She took a deep breath, readying herself for the pain that always came with it.

* * *

_Jia woke up when she heard loud, heavy footsteps outside her cell. The door banged open and her captor walked in. He grabbed a handful of her dirty, bloody hair and yanked her head back. Jia yelped in pain and he gave a brief smile of satisfaction at her pain._

"_You have a visitor," he said. Somehow, Jia knew her visitor was on her side since the man seemed pissed. She just glared at him through half-closed, black eyes. The man smirked and raised his hand. Jia took a deep breath and closed her eyes, knowing he was going to strike her. It came sooner than she expected, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming in pain._

"_Now, bring in her friend," the man called to the guards outside the cell. There was a pause, and then Swirl was dragged in, cuffed and bound. Jia had never met T or Willow, but she had met Swirl; and had even liked the assassin woman. _

_Swirl had dark, cocoa colored skin and black eyes, with long, kinky black hair. Somehow, she always kept her hair, smooth, soft, with a strand never out of place. Her name came from the bright green that was mixed into her black eyes; Jia guessed that came from her father, but no one knew because her father was most likely killed before she was born. _

_Now she was sitting in a chair in front of Jia, her hair pulled back into a braided bun, her clothes torn and tattered, with a cut above her right eye; and her swirled eyes were stormy, filled with anger and hatred. And the need to kill. The lust for blood. The want to get revenge._

_Jia knew that look. It was what her eyes had been filled with before she had killed the terrorists that had destroyed her family. And Jia knew why she had that look. Willow had been captured by Mossad as well, which meant that Jia had a long and painful death coming her way. But she didn't know what Swirl was doing her. Wolffe had ordered no attachments, and he definitely wouldn't risk sending out a rescue party for one girl. He hadn't done it for Willow, and she was one of his best, working with him for almost ten years._

"_You see, your friend came in peace, and asked to see you. I granted her the wish, but there is a catch," the man said while Jia and Swirl stared at each other. "She is now my prisoner. I will give you two time to talk, and then I get to have a little private….._ conversation _with her." With that, the man left._

"_Swirl, what are you doing here?" Jia asked softly. "They'll kill you. You should have left me alone."_

"_I came because of Willow," Swirl said softly. Jia looked at her in confusion, and Swirl continued. "She always spoke very highly of you; she liked and respected you. She wanted to work with you on a mission or two, but never got the chance."_

"_I always wanted to go on a mission with her," Jia quietly, thoughtfully._

"_She kept a log of all the people in Wolffe's group," Swirl said, sounding amused about something. "She would write down everything she thought about everyone in the group. You should see what she wrote about your friend Eagle. She had many paragraphs about you; photos even. Recorded conversations."_

_Jia paused at that. She had known someone was watching her since she joined Wolffe, but she had always assumed it was Wolffe himself; seeing if he could trust her._

"_She was tracking you, Archangel," Swirl said. "She was trying to figure you out. She was going to request you be transferred to our group. She wanted to learn from you."_

"_From me?" Jia asked incredulously. "She was the best of us; the best assassin. The way she could read people, break them without even glancing at them. She was amazing."_

"_Not how to be an assassin," Swirl said, interrupting Jia. "She wanted to learn how to be an older sister."_

"_I thought she was the youngest," Jia said in confusion._

_Swirl shook her head, and Jia suddenly remembered how, a couple months ago, she had overheard Wolffe arguing with someone. It had been about him wanted to bring someone into the business, and whoever it was, was begging him not to force their little brother into it._

"_It was Willow," she murmured, understanding washing over her._

_Swirl nodded sadly._

"_She eavesdropped on your conversation with Wolffe, the one where you asked to join," Swirl said. "She heard you say you were doing to get revenge for the deaths of your family. But she didn't believe that was the only reason. She started watching you, tracking your every movement, recording your conversations with different people. And then when you disappeared for two weeks after you had joined us, she followed you._

_She found you with your sister and brothers. She cried. Did you know that? She found you with your family. Lying to them, but loving them at the same time, and she cried. That was the family she wanted."_

"_Are you kidding?" Jia said. "My family was screwed up. The sister your talking about: she was adopted into the family when we were five. The older boy; he was one of best friends from school. I called him my brother from another mother. The only person she saw that was actually related to me was the little boy."_

"_But you loved them all," Swirl said quietly. "And that was all she wanted. All she wanted was the love of a family. We didn't get that at home, and so we joined Wolffe and his group. We had no choice. We were forced by our mothr to join. But you had a choice. And you joined to protect your family. You did it to get rid of the terrorists that had killed the rest of your family. _

_That was all she wanted; to protect who she loved most. Yes, she loved us, but the person she loved the most in the world was our youngest brother. His name is Damien, and he's eight. Willow would have fought Wolffe, our mother, anyone to protect him. But she didn't know how to be gentle and loving; the person she felt she needed to be to love our brother correctly. And she wanted your help."_

"_She watched me to learn," Jia said. "She watched me to learn how to love."_

"_Yes," Swirl said. "Archangel, as soon as she saw that you had sacrificed your innocence, your conscious, your citizenship; everything you had. As soon as she that you had sacrificed all because you loved your brothers and sister, her heart broke. She knew that was the family that she should have had. She cried so hard. She came back to us, and explained everything, and cried again. Archangel, you made my sister cry." But Swirl said it as though it was something of an acheivement._

"_I didn't mean to-," Jia started, but Swirl cut her off._

"_They were tears of understanding and want. And love," she said. _

_Jia was silent as she processed that, and then her eye widened in understanding. Willow had loved Jia as Jia had loved Gavin and Kayla and Cody. _

"_In her log, she put that if you got caught, she would go looking for you, and drag you back across the world if she had to," Swirl said. "She is dead, but she would still do that if she could. And I am here to do that for her."_

"_Swirl, they have anti-tank, anti-aircraft weapons. A hundred men, heavily armed. What do you have?" Jia asked._

"_Well," Swirl said with a small smile, "I have a pissed ex-Mossad officer, two pissed teenage boys, and a pissed brother."_

_Jia smiled a little at that, too._

"_But there is a trick," Swirl said. Jia raised her eyebrows, silently asking what the trick was. "Archangel, can you fight?"_

_Jia squeezed her eyes shut and slowly shook her head. Her captor had made sure that even the smallest movement hurt like hell. There was no way she could fight. Swirl nodded._

"_Well, we'll just have to make do without your skills, then," she said with a slight smirk. "Go," she whispered under her breath._

"_What?" Jia asked._

"_For Mossad agents, they aren't very thorough," Swirl said, listening as guns started going off and things started exploding. "T planted a camera inside the chain on my necklace, along with audio, so he got to see and hear everything that I saw and heard."_

_Jia smiled at the brilliance of the plan. Of course Mossad wouldn't check necklaces. Who would think to? Definitely not Jia, she was sure of that. The door swung open and her captor stalked in, his knife in his hand._

"_We are under attack, and it is very easy to assume it is your friends," he said. He grabbed Swirl's bun and tipped her head back and placed the knife up to her throat._

"_Wait, wait," Swirl cried. "I know who is out there. I can give you the information you need to beat them."_

"_Why would you tell me that?" the man asked._

"_It would keep me alive," Swirl said darkly. The man chuckled._

"_So it is true what they say about you assassins," he said. "You only care about yourself. You're ready to betray your comrades in an instand if it meant you stayed alive."_

"_We're just bitches like that," Swirl said._

_Jia tuned her out as she gave fake information to the man. She didn't need to hear it. Besides, it was more interesting to listen to the things getting blown up. Suddenly, the door was exploded, sending dust and pieces of metal flying._

_Eagle and Red were in the lead, followe by someone, who Jia could only assume was T, and his mother. Her captor turned around, grabbed his gun, and shot at T, but Swirl jumped out of her chair and grabbed his gun. She yanked his arms so they were bent backwards over his head, and pulled until she heard the snap of bone. The man bellowed in pain as his elbows and shoulders were broken. Swirl wasn't even all the way faing him when she pulled the trigger. It was a shot in the stomach. She pulled the trigger again, shooting the man in his right lung. _

_She let him fall to the ground, not giving him a second glance. She picked up the knife and cut through Jia's rope bindings. Jia winced as blood flowed back into her feet and hands. She looked down at her captor, and saw that the places where Swirl had shot him were fatal, just not instantly. It would take him about eight hours to die. That was nothing compared to Willow's death, but Jia knew it made Swirl and T feel better._

"_Come on," Eagle said as he and Red each wrapped one arm around Jia's waist, supporting her as they walked. Swirl's mom stayed in the front, taking out anyone who tried to stop them with almost-enjoyment. _And these used to be her comrades,_ Jia thought in shock. T stayed at the back of the group, making sure all of the people were dead. Jia tuned out the cries and groans of pain. She didn't care if they suffered, but she wasn't the type of person who enjoyed listening to and watching people suffer._

_They finally made it out into the bright sunlight where a plane was waiting for them. The sun blinded Jia, since she had been in darkness for about a month, but from the sound of it she could tell the plane was small; probably a private plane. _

"_Get her on the plane, now," Swirl's mother ordered. Red and Eagle picked up speed, and Jia couldn't keep up with them. They pretty much dragged her the rest of the way onto the plane, dropped her in a seat, and then disappeared to somewhere. Slowly, Jia's eyesight was starting to come back, and she could see it was a very nice plane. Now she guessed the plane had been stolen from somewhere._

_She looked up to see Eagle and Red standing above her with a first aid kit. At the sting of the antiseptic, Jia cried out in pain and tried to jerk away. _

"_Come on," Eagle said. "Don't be like that. We know it hurts but it will start to feel better in a bit."_

_Jia ground her teeth and tensed, waiting for the next sting. It came, burning like fire. She couldn't help the scream that escaped her lips or the tears that escaped her eyes._

"_I'm sorry," she heard Red say softly, before she finally passed out._

* * *

"That's what's bothering me," Jia said. She was now stretched out on the floor on her stomach, using her arms as a pillow.

"The girl, Swirl, came because her sister would have?" Jacob asked in confusion. Jia nodded.

"Their names," Luminara Unduli said. "Your name is Jia, but they kept calling you Archangel. Just like you kept calling her Swirl, and the two boys Red and Eagle. Those aren't their names, are they?"

"No," Jia said. "When we join, we are given a name by Wolffe. Only he knows our real names. Everyone else, even our partners, only knows us by our comm names. Except maybe Swirl, T, and Willow, since they were siblings and all that."

"That was so sad," Ahsoka murmured quietly.

"My life is sad," Jia said.

"You sing," Ahsoka said. "That's not sad."

"How did you know I sing?" Jia asked.

"Jacob told me."

Jia turned her head to look at Jacob and he said, "Maddison told me."

"Why would Maddison tell you anything?" Jia asked.

"Because she is my fifth cousin," Jacob answered.

Jia just shook her head.

"Sing?" Ahsoka asked. "Please?"

"Ahsoka, I don't think that's a very good idea. Not right here, anyways," Jia said.

"Your just embarrassed," Ahsoka said.

Jia huffed, but then relented. It wasn't that she didn't like to sing, it was that she didn't like to sing in front of people. Most of the time.

"_My mama mapped out, the road that she knows_

_Which hand ot shake, and which hand to hold._

_In my hand-me-down Mercury, ready to roll._

_She knew that I had to go._

_And hang out, make lots of noise._

_And lay out, late with a boy._

_Make that mistakes that she made 'cause she knew all along_

_I was already gone._

_I was already gone._

_I was already gone._

_Life is a runaway train you can't wait to jump on."_

Ahsoka smiled as she listened to the lyrics. She figured that this was probably true with Jia. That she had been independent and ready to go out into the world, even though her mother had tried to hold onto her. And Ahsoka knew that Jia had probably made some of the same mistakes her mom had. She knew Jia, and she knew the only way Jia learned was by diving headfirst into something. Ahsoka decided very quickly that this song fit Jia almost perfectly.

"_They say the first time won't ever last._

_But that didn't stop me, the first time he laughed._

_All my friends tried to warn me, the day that we met:_

"_Girl don't you lose your heart yet."_

_But his dark eyes dared me with danger,_

_And sparks fly, like flame to a paper._

_Fire in his touch burning me up, but still I held on_

'_Cause I was already gone._

_I was already gone._

_I was already gone._

_Life is a runaway train you can't wait to jump on._

_The last time I saw him, we packed up my things,_

_And he smiled like the first time he told me his name._

_And we cried with each other; we split the blame_

_For the parts we couldn't change._

_Pictues, dishes and socks; it's our whole life_

_Down to one box._

_There he was waving good-bye on the front porch alone,_

_But I was already gone_

_I was already gone._

_I was already gone._

_I was already gone._

_I was already-._

_Hang out, make lots of noise,_

_And lay out, late with a boy. _

_Make the mistakes that she made,_

_Life is a runaway train._

_His dark eyes, dared me with danger._

_And sparks fly like flame to a paper._

_Fire in his touch-._

_Life is a runaway train you can't wait to jump on._

_My mama mapped out, the road that she knows_

_Which hand ot shake, and which hand to hold._

_In my hand-me-down Mercury, ready to roll._

_She knew that I had to go."_

"What's that song called?" Ahsoka asked when Jia was done.

"Already Gone," Jia answered. "My mom used to play it for me to show me how my life would probably be. I never understood it at first, but I loved it. I've had it memorized since I was a little girl."

"I like it," Ahsoka said. Jia smiled at that.

"'Kay, well, can I go back to sleep now?" Jia asked, getting up off the floor.

"One questions," Jacob said. Jia turned to face him.

"Why do you lock everyone out? Why do you always refuse help and refuse to let anyone in?"

Jia bit her lip and rocked back on her heels.

"Because if I am your friend, or sibling, or ally, even, the only thing that will come your way is pain, and loss, and suffering," she answered.

"Why, exactly?" Jacob asked in an annoyed voice.

"Because of what I do," Jia said in a 'duh' tone. "That's the price you pay when you have the love of an assassin."


	19. Memories

_My life is still in chaos. I have "unofficially" officially moved in with my aunt, uncle, and younger cousins (one's two and one's eight), so if you see any randomly misspelled words, it is probably from them. I have also started volunteering at some local animal shelter, so that takes up a lot of my time. Anyways, here's chapter nineteen. Tell me what you think. _

**Memories**

Jia sat with her legs pulled up to her chest, staring out at the speeders as they rushed by.

"Couldn't sleep?" Jacob asked as he sat down next to her on the roof of the Jedi Temple.

"I didn't want to have another nightmare," Jia answered softly, not looking at him.

Jacob didn't say anything. Instead he just gently traced the scar behind her ear. Now he knew where it came from. Jia tried to pull away from his touch, and then sighed and rested her chin on the top of her knees.

"How many time have you been through something like that?" Jacob asked.

"I don't like to talk about it," Jia said sharply.

"But you need to," Jacob said. "Or it won't get better."

"Oh, and I'm going to talk about it with you?" Jia asked incredulously.

"It's either me or the Council," Jacob said smugly.

Jia let out a raspberry, but turned her head to the side so she could face Jacob.

"Can you do that mind thingy on your own?" she asked him.

Jacob nodded and she sighed.

"I'll show you another op, I guess."

Jacob nodded again and entered her mind

* * *

"_I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves,_

_Everybody's nerves,_

_Everybody's nerves._

_I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves;_

_And this is how it goes," Jia sang quietly into her comm. it was about the hundredth time she had sang it and it was starting to annoy Red and Eagle._

"_Archangel, I swear you are an innocent-looking, teenage embodiment of the devil," Red groaned. Jia just smirked._

"_That's what you get for eating my sandwich," she said. "That was my damn sandwich. Tuna. I made it. And you just ate it."_

"_I was hungry," Red defended._

"_Yeah, well so am I," Jia shot back. "And when I get hungry, I get grumpy. And I'm pissed at you for eating _my sandwich_."_

"_Red, did you have to eat her sandwich?" Eagle asked._

"_It's just a sandwich," Red exclaimed._

"_It was _my_ sandwich," Jia growled._

"_And now you have flipped her "be-annoying-until-she-gets-another-sandwich" switch," Eagle pointed out to Red._

"_I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves,_

_Everybody's nerves,_

_Everybody's nerves._

_I know a song that gets-," Jia started to sing again._

"_Damn it, Archangel," Red snapped. "I'll get you another freakin' sandwich."_

"_It has to be tuna and home-made," Jia said._

"_To hell it is," Red growled._

"_I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves,_

_Everybody's nerves,_

_Everybody's nerves-," Jia started again._

"_Okay! Home-made tuna sandwich," Red cried, not wanting to listen to another word from the song. Jia smiled._

"_Thank you, Red," she said sweetly._

_She bit her tongue to keep from laughing as she heard Red mutter something about her being an annoying little bitch that was sent there from hell._

"_Was my sandwich worth it?" she asked in an innocent voice._

"_Oh, hell to the no, it wasn't," Eagle answered before Red could say anything. _

"_Actually, Eagle, if you had eaten the sandwich then you would probably agree that it was worth it," Red said. Jia growled softly into the comm and Red immediately backtracked._

"_Well, worth it until you started singing that damn song."_

_Eagle sighed as the two started bickering again, not paying attention._

"_Archangel, you're up!" he snapped after about five minutes._

"_I know," she said. "I can multi-task, you know."_

_Eagle just snorted and watched as she walked up onto the stage. She carried a beautiful guitar that had apparently belonged the her great-grandfather. Eagle followed her every movement, watching and listening to the reaction of the crowd. As she sat down on the stool, a couple people wolf-whistled, causing Eagle to clench his fist. Archangel was _his_, even if he didn't know her real name. _

_She flipped her curled hair over on shoulder, tipped her head to the side, positioned the microphone, and started to play the guitar._

"We said good-bye,

Tried a hand at magic.

But we couldn't make us disappear

Not a day goes by

Where I don't wish I had you.

So in a way I'm glad you're still here.

It's a bittersweet victory,

Lovin' the ghost in front of me.

Now I can't laugh, can't cry.

And I can't run, can't hide.

What do I gotta do?

What do I gotta do to keep you?

What do I gotta do to keep you from doing this to me?"

_Eagle listened to the song, trying to imagine what Jia was thinking as she sang the song. She had told Red and Eagle that she had chosen the song because Cody, Kayla, and Gavin were the "ghosts", and Red and Eagle were the ones that were "still here." At first he had just nodded his head along with Red, not really getting what she was saying. Now he understood._

"I wrote a couple of notes;

One in love, one in anger.

They're lying there dying in the dresser drawer.

Lived louder than my voice;

Struggled through a stranger.

He loved me 'till I loved you even more.

It's a bittersweet victory,

Knwin' someone else wanted me.

Now I can't laugh, can't cry.

And I can't run, can't hide.

You get used to the pain,

And numb to the sting;

'Till you can't feel anything.

You tried to explain,

But I couldn't hear it;

As if your words were my tears.

Flowing freely, warm and quiet,

From the edges of my eyes into my ears.

Then all that disappears.

Now I can't laugh, can't cry.

And I can't run, can't hide.

Now I can't laugh, can't cry.

And I can't run, can't hide.

What do I gotta do?

What do I gotta do to keep you?

What do I gotta do to keep you from doing this to me?"

_There was a moment of silence, and then the audience started clapping and whistling. Some even stood up. _

"_Would you like me to do another song?" Jia asked the crowd, a small, knowing smirk on her face. In response, the crowd clapped and cheered and yelled. Jia smiled and said, "Okay, okay. Maybe if you calm down I'll be able to hear myself." That got some amused chuckles from the judges._

_Jia took a moment to tune her guitar, and then she started to play._

"Little boy, six years old;

A little too used to being alone.

Another new mom and dad,

Another school, another house that will never be home.

When people ask him how he likes this place,

He looks up and says, with a smile upon his face,

"This is my temporary home,

It's not where I belong.

Windows and rooms,

That I'm passin' thorugh.

This is just a stop on the way to where I'm going.

I'm not afraid because I know:

This is my temporary home."

_Eagle saw Jia blink a few times, and suddenly realized she was trying not tro cry. Quickly, he ran through everything he had ever been told or heard or seen or learned about Jia. She was a military child, her parents were KIA, she went to some school in the middle of town, she lived with her family in cabin up in the mountains. Her family consisted of: her twin sister, her older brother, and her younger brother. Eagle dug through his memory, trying to remember if he knew anything about her little brother. His age; Eagle had been told his age one time when Jia had been shot with an over-dose of some venom and she was looped up and whacked. _Come on,_ Eagle thought in frustration, _what's his age? 1? 2? 3? 4? 5? 6? 7? 6!_ That's why she was crying. The little boy in the song was like her little brother. _

Young mom on her own.

She needs a little help, got now where to go.

She's lookin' for a job, lookin' for a way out,

'Cause a half-way house will never be a home.

At night she whispers to her baby girl,

"Some day we'll find a place here in this world.

This is our temporary home,

It's not where we belong.

Windows and rooms,

That we're passin' thorugh.

This is just a stop on the way to where we're going.

I'm not afraid because I know:

This is our temporary home."

_Eagle was watching her carefully now. He and Red had known this assignment was going to be hard on Jia, but they couldn't do it without her. She was the computer whiz, along with her knife, and the flirt. They needed her to seduce the rich guy in order to break into his vault. This was a strange op, thuough. They weren't here to kill, they were here to steal. Eagle still hadn't been able to figure out why, and it had been three weeks since they were sent on this assignment._

Old man, hospital bed;

The room is filled with people he loves,

And he whispers,

"Don't cry for me, I'll see you all one day."

He looks up and says,

"I can see God's face.

This is my temporary home,

It's not where I belong.

Windows and rooms,

That I'm passin' thorugh.

This is just a stop on the way to where I'm going.

I'm not afraid because I know:

This is my temporary home."

This is our temporary home."

_Again, the audience went crazy. Jia stood up and smiled. She bowed and waved as she walked off the stage. Eagle narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. This was different from the girl he knew. Her smile had been real; he knew her well enough to know the difference between her real smiled and her fake ones. And her real ones were rare. He had only seen it one other time, and that was when he had accidentally caught her with her little brother._

"_I'm in position," Jia whispered, snapping him out of the little trance he was in._

"_Moving to intercept," Red said._

_Eagle mentally kicked himself. He was team leader; he should be two-steps ahead of both of them._

"_Eagle, ETA, now," Jia snapped. _

"_Forty-nine seconds, tops," Eagle said, moving towards the storage door Jia was at._

"_I don't need tops, I need exact," Jia muttered. Eagle smiled. This was the Jia he knew._

"_Uhhh, thirty-three seconds," he said, picking up his speed._

"_That's better," Jia said with a smile. Then the smile fell. "Uh-oh."_

"_What's uh-oh?" Red and Eagle asked at the same time._

"_Male, white, tall, blonde…. looks a lot like that boy Zach from that one bar," Jia said. _

"_Get out of there," Eagle ordered._

"_Too late," she whispered. "Eagle, permission to kill?"_

"_He's a civilian, though," Red said._

"_He knows who we are," Eagle retorted. "And if he gives us away, our cover's blown."_

"_No, if he gives Archangel away, our cover's blown," Red returned._

"_Either way, you have six seconds to decide," Jia said in a somewhat frazzled tone._

"_Archangel, permission to kill," Eagle said. He heard her blow out a breath and then heard the almost-silent "shing" of her knife coming out of the hilt. _

"_Nothing too messy now," he added._

"_Aww, Eagle, you take all the fun away," Jia teased._

"_We get to have fun later," Eagle reminded her._

"_You guys better be talking about us stealing whatever-the-hell-it-is we're stealing," Red said in an authorative._

"_Of course we are," Jia said a little breathlessly. Both boys knew she had just killed Zach in the three seconds Red had been talking. _

"_Actually, I wasn't," Eagle muttered under his breath._

"_For reals?" Red asked. "Ya'll nasty."_

"_Red, I'm not having sex with him," Archangel said._

"_Than what did he mean?" Red asked, sounding as if he didn't want to know._

"_I have to pretend to be his girlfriend, and apparently we have to make-out," Jia said in an annoyed tone. Somehow Red knew that this had not been Jia's idea._

"_Why does he always get to be your boyfriend?" he complained._

"_Because I'm sexier than you, and we all know it," Eagle responded before Jia could say anything._

"_Now that's a matter of opinion," Red muttered._

"_Seriously, you guys?" Jia asked in exasperation. "I mean, I get the fact that you both wanna make-out with me, or in Eagle's case, have sex with me, but seriously? Get. The hell. Over it."_

"_Well then," Eagle muttered under his breath, but Jia could tell he found her little temper tantrum amusing. _

"_Whatevs," she said._

_Eagle rounded a corner and saw her leaning up against the wall of the safeware/vault, looking very calm; Zach's body was nowhere to be seen, and there was no blood anywhere. He jogged up to her._

"_Where's the body?" he asked._

"_Weeeeeeeeeeell," Jia said, dragging out the word. Eagle held up a hand._

"_Never mind. I don't want to know." Jia just smirked._

"_Come on," she said, pushing off of the wall. "Let's go steal this damn thing."_

* * *

Jacob blinked and looked at Jia.

"What happened?" he asked. Jia shrugged.

"Mission went smoothly," she said. "We got the merchandise and got out. Not too hard. Pretty boring, though."

Jacob smiled at that.

"So, you gonna show me another one?"

"Do I have to?" Jia whined.

Jacob just looked at her, silently telling her 'it's me or the Council.' Jia narrowed her eyes at him, and Jacob reached up one hand, gently tracing her scar again. Jia tensed at his touch, but didn't pull away, like the other times.

"What happened after you got away from the Mossad people?" he asked. When Jia didn't respond, Jacob traced her scar again. He saw her blink and sigh, and knew that she had relented. Carefully, he reached into her mind again.

* * *

_Jia slowly came to. She could tell they were still on the plane by the constant whirring that filled her ears. As her senses started coming back, she could feel intense pain coming from all over her body. She moaned in pain and shifted, trying to find a better position._

"_Archangel!" she heard someone cry in relief, and then strong arms enveloped her in a hug. They smelled of sweat mixed with hickory. It was the unmistakable scent of Eagle. He gently lifted her into his lap, ignoring her whimpers of pain, and hugged her to his chest. It was almost as if he thought he was going to lose her at any moment._

"_Jia," she whispered, deciding he deserved to know her real name. She was pretty sure he and Red had denied a direct order by coming to rescue her, and she thought he should at least know her name._

"_What?" he asked in confusion._

"_Jiana Sasha White."_

_Eagle was silent as he processed that, and then he hugged her even tighter._

"_Mark Dylan Latimer," he said quietly in her ear._

_Jia froze. That name was familiar. She closed her eyes and dug through her memories, sifting through all the names she had ever heard._

"The_ Latimer's?" she asked as she suddenly realized what that name was from. They owned all the major companies in the city where she used to live. _

"_Yup," Eagle sighed. Jia shifted in Eagle's lap to look up at his face._

"_Why'd you leave? You had a good life. Money, friends, good clothing, good school. A future that I could never have had," she said, jealousy flashing briefly in her eyes. Eagle smiled a little that she had just been rescued from a prison camp, and she could still manage to be jealous of his former life. _

"_I didn't like it," he said finally. Never had he told anyone of his other life, not even Red. "My parents ignored us. They only acted like they loved us kids in front of the cameras. And they kept making kids. You could hear them all the way across the house. It was disgusting."_

"_So you left your life to become an assassin because you could hear your parents having sex?" Jia asked in amusement._

"_No," Eagle answered in all seriousness. "I left because I knew that if I stayed I would probably end up with some whore that I didn't want, we would probably fight a lot, and then we would have some big divorce that the whole nation knows about. I was on my way to doing drugs when I left. I had already started drinking."_

"_I remember that," Jia exclaimed, interrupting him again._

"_No, you don't," Eagle argued. "I stopped drinking long before you came."_

"_No you didn't," Jia said stubbornly. "I remember I could smell it on your breath when I first came. And on your clothes and your skin. I stopped smelling it about two months after I joined." Eagle chuckled._

"_I didn't know you had such a good smell or memory," he said. _

"_Well, I do," Jia said. "Like right now, you smell like sweat, but under that smell is the smell of hickory. You always smell like hickory. That's how I know it's you if I can't see or I'm blindfolded or something. But that's beside the point. First, tell me why you quit drinking, and then tell me the rest of why you left."_

"_How bout I do that in the opposite order?" Eagle teased with a smile. Jia just huffed at him. "I pretty much left looking for a better life. Willow and her team picked me up on the street, recognized my name, and brought me to Wolffe. He said that if I lasted through the training I could stay. And I obviously lasted."_

"_So you left your rich, pretty-boy life to kill people?" Jia asked in disbelief. "It's not that much better than your old life."_

"_But it's not worse, either," Eagle murmured. His hazel eyes suddenly seemed darker and his voice seemed huskier. _

_Jia swallowed and stared into Eagle's eyes, feeling frozen in place, but not in a bad way. Eagle ran his fingers through her now-clean hair, careful of the bandages. His hand stopped at the back of her head, bracing her head and neck with his hand. Jia kept eye contact with him the whole time as he leaned down and kissed her._

_This wasn't the same as when they had had to kiss or make-out on assignments, or when she had had to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on him. This was different. This was Mark Dylan Latimer kissing Jiana Sasha White. They weren't in disguise and they didn't have legends they needed to stick to. It was honest and true. There were no lies and disguises to taint it._

"_Jiana," Eagle said, resting his forehead lightly against Jia's, "how badly did he hurt you?"_

"_He made sure I couldn't move without being in pain," Jia whispered after a long pause. Eagle smiled, and she suddenly realized he had been testing her. As an assassin himself, he knew how hard it was to admit weakness, even to partners._

_Jia just glared at him from under her eyebrows, and Eagle laughed and pulled her tight against him. _

"_Okay, I won't test you again," he said, still laughing a little. When Jia continued to glare at him, he leaned down and kissed her again. It was quick and short and sweet, and Jia let out a silent huff of frustration. She might be the flirt of the team; used to seduce the rich perverts, but she wasn't a flirt by nature. She just wasn't like that, and Eagle knew that. And they both knew that he gave her that kiss to tease her. _

"_Okay, so tell me why you quit drinking, now," Jia said as Eagle tucked her curled-up form under his chin. _

"_You," he said simply. "You came along, and it took me about five seconds to figure out I would never have a chance with you if I kept drinking."_

"_You've liked me since I first joined the team?" Jia asked in shock._

"_No," Eagle corrected. "I've _loved _you since you first joined the team."_

_Jia sucked in her breath at that. She had lost Ali a couple months back while protecting Jia from his trigger-happy father. Cody was also gone, but he had been more of a brother. Could she open her heart to another boy again?_

"_You don't need to," Eagle said with a small smirk, anticipating her thought. "You already care about me. That was proven when you sacrificed yourself to let me and Red escape."_

_Jia smiled a little at that. Of course Eagle would look at it that way. She closed her eyes and sighed, snuggling against him. _

"_Love you, too, Mark," she managed to murmur before falling asleep._

* * *

"You loved him." A statement, not a question. Jia took a deep breath and nodded.

"But it wasn't even worth it," she said.

"Why?" Jacob asked. His voice had suddenly become harsh and cold, and it was all Jia could do to keep from rolling her eyes.

"When we got back, Wolffe was hella-pissed, but he allowed us to continue with missions. He had managed to track down the terrorist that had killed some of my family. Our mission was to go and kill him. But something went wrong, and he ended up finding out we were there. He took my brother and sister as hostage and used them as a bomb. I killed him, but against Wolffe's orders. When we got back, he was so mad he couldn't control himself. He started using me as a punching bag. Red and Eagle tried to stop him, shoving me down an air duct to get me out of the way. As soon as I was safely out of the way, they set off a bomb, killing Wolffe, and themselves.

Swirl and T's mom took over the little business, and they accepted me into their group, but I couldn't do it anymore. On one mission, we were sent to rescue some important political leader from some terrorists, but they had him surrounded by det cord, connected to some box that amplified the explosion. T and Swirl got the guy, but they wouldn't have been able to escape with him. There were too many armed pursurers.

So I waited until they were nearly on top of me, and then I shot the box. I was ready to die. I wanted to die. I wanted to go see my family again, and laugh with Red and hug Eagle. The fire burned. It hurt like hell, but I figured I deserved the pain. I lost consciousness after about thrity seconds from smoke inhalation, and when I woke up…" Jia trailed off here and looked down.

Without realizing it, Jacob scooted closer and put one arm around her shoulders, offering his warmth in the chilly night air and his comfort from whatever was bothering her now.

"You what?" he prompted gently. All his jealousy was gone now.

"I was on some desert planet. I never learned the name of it," Jia said. "I stole a ship from someone, bought some weapons from someone else, and all that."

"But you have your knife from your world, and same with your laptop and whatever else Maddison said you have. I think she called it a phone. How'd you get it?" Jacob asked.

"I had them with me when I shot the box," Jia said, resting her head on Jacob's shoulder. "I guess they came with me."

"So you got from your galaxy to this one in an explosion?" Jacob asked.

"I don't know," Jia said in exasperation. "Maybe I was unconscious longer than I realized and someone moved me. But whatever happened, I still have my knife, laptop, and phone, and I don't have any scars from the explosion, and I'm not dead." Then, almost inaudibly, she muttered, "Sometimes I want to be."

"Why do you think you're here?" Jacob questioned.

"For all I know, maybe I got reincarnated in your galaxy and I'm here to right my wrongs. Whatever the case, I don't know why I'm here, how I got here, or how to get back home," Jia said with a sigh.

"Do you want to go back to your home?"

"It would be nice."

"And if this has become your home?"

"Then I will do all I possibly can to wreck havoc."

Jacob laughed at that and Jia smiled a little bit.

"So what are you going to do with my memories?" Jia asked, turning her head to look Jacob directly in the eyes.

"Show them to the Council," Jacob said.

"So either way, the Council sees how jacked up my life is?" Jia asked; but there was a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Yeah, pretty much," Jacob returned, dragging out the 'yeah.'

"Please tell me they're not gonna try to use their Jedi wisdom to help me," Jia pretend-begged.

"Okay," Jacob said. "They're not gonna try to use their Jedi wisdom to help you."

Jia punched him in the shoulder, but she was laughing. Jacob fell back from the force of her punch, and wrapped his other arm around her, bringing her down on top of him. By that time, they were both laughing.

"But for reals," Jia said, pushing herself up into a sitting position, putting her knees on either side of Jacob's stomach. "I need to know what the high, esteemed, O Great, Jedi Cuncil wants with my memories."

"I don't know," Jacob said, struggling to keep a straight face.

"Liar," Jia cried with a smile on her face. She smacked Jacob lightly across the face.

"You like to hit me a lot," Jacob commented.

"Yes, well, you are such a good punching bag," Jia said in a British accent, biting her tongue to keep a straight face.

"You are such a little bitch," Jacob returned.

"Oh, now that's hurtful," Jia teased, swallowing back a laugh.

"So is you hitting me," Jacob said.

Jia huffed, and Jacob smiled, knowing he had won.

"One more memory," Jacob said, when Jia was still for a long moment.

"Three memories?" Jia whined. "That's a lot."

Jacob pretended to think, and then he used the Force to lift them up in the air and then flip them over so he was able to pin Jia down. She squirmed and jerked her weight from side-to-side, trying to throw him off, but Jacob wouldn't budge.

"I don't let you up 'till you show me another memory," Jacob said.

"You so don't play fair," Jia complained. Jacob just smirked. Jia let out a raspberry of defeat.

"Fine."

* * *

_Jia walked into the suite and dropped her bag in the middle of the living room. Then she walked over to the sofa and collapsed face-down onto it._

"_Come on, Archangel," Red said, rolling his eyes. "We need to get the surveilence equipment set up."_

"_No we don't," Jia argued, her voice muffled by the coushin._

"_Yes, we do," Red snapped back, annoyed by Jia._

"_Go do it by yourself," she said._

"_Come on," Eagle said, pulling Jia up by her shoulder. "Up, up."_

"_Nooooooooo," Jia said in a whiny voice. _

"_Yes," Eagle and Red said together. _

"_Hmph," Jia huffed as she dragged her feet across the floor to the window where the equipment was being set up._

"_Let's do this," Red said. He put on some music, and added, "Let's see if we can finish before this playlist ends."_

_The boys set to work, using hammers and screw drivers and different assortment of tools. Jia danced around, picking up the different pieces they needed and dancing it back to them. At one point in a song, she started doing one of her gymnastic floor routines, and the boys paused to watch her in amusement. She ended with the splits, and by that time Eagle and Red were doubled over with laughter. Jia smiled in satisfaction, stood up, and bowed. She was happy she had managed to make her partners laugh so hard. It was nice to hear laughter. _

"_Okay," Eagle said, choking down his laughter and slipping into his role as team leader. "We need to finish setting this up."_

_Jia complied, walking over and kneeling down in between Red and Eagle, helping them get the sensors and cameras together. _

"_When do we bug the room?" she asked, hopping up when they were done._

"_Well," Red said. He and Eagle shared a glance, and Jia froze. She placed her hands on her hip and cocked a hip, giving them her "you better tell me" glare._

"_You get to run across the rooftops like a ninja, and then rapel down to the window of the room like whoever or whatever rapels down to a hundred story window in the middle of the night, and then you get to get to cling to the window like Spiderman, and then you get to pretend to be a spy and sneak through into the window, and then you get to be like a cat and walk silently through the dark, placing our bugs in good locations," Eagle said, turning and walking into another of the rooms._

"_Oh," Jia said. She blinked. This was her first assignment on her own as being a member of the team, and she knew that if she screwed it up, they would probably be killed._

"_You'll be fine," Red said with an over-sweet smile. Jia snatched up the blanket that was draped over the back of the sofa and threw it at him. He just laughed and ducked. The blanket sailed over his head and hit the vase that was sitting on the table behind him. _

_Jia wasted no time in turning to Red and saying, "What you do?"_

_Eagle's laughter could be heard from whatever room he was in. Red launched himself at Jia, leaping over the coffe table, and tackled her to the floor. He quickly brought his lips down to hers and gave her a quick kiss. Then he jumped up and stood to one side as Jia stood up and started coughing and choking. _

"_I'm infected with _you_," she cried, running into the bathroom to gurgle water._

_Red collapsed onto the floor, he was laughing so hard, and Eagle could be heard laughing again._

"_Not funny," Jia called from the bathroom. _

"_Sure, sure," Red chortled. _

"_Screw you, Red," Jia snapped, causing him to go into another fit of laughter. "You guys suck."_

"_Actually," Eagle said, "you're the girl, which means you're the one that sucks-."_

"_Shut the hell up," Jia said, cutting him off. Both boys went into another fit of laughter. Jia came out of the bathroom, only to be tackled again by Red._

"_Got her," he called to Eagle. Eagle came out of the other room and smiled._

"_Tickle fight," he said._

"_No," Jia cried. She always lost tickle fights; she was just too ticklish. Eagle grinned evily and started tickling her stomach. Jia squirmed and writhed on the floor of the suite, laughing so hard it hurt. It didn't help that Red had her pinned down by the shoulders. Finally she managed to lightly kick Eagle in the chest, pushing him away from her. She rolled backwards onto her shoulders, kicking Red in the chest. Both boys stumbled away from her and she jumped up._

"_No more tickle fights," she said._

"_Geez," Eagle said, standing up and offering a hand down to help Red up. "For the new girl you sure got one hell of an attitude." Jia just smirked. _

"_And one hell of a kick," Red added, rolling his shoulders back and wincing a little. _

"_That's what you get," Jia said smugly. The boys shared a glance, and then leapt at Jia again. _

"_No, no,"Jia cried, wriggling, trying to get loose. Her protests fell upon deaf ears as Eagle started tickling her stomach again. This time Red joined in, tickling her neck._

_Eventually, they stopped, exhausted. Red and Eagle collapsed onto the floor next to Jia, one on either side of her. Almost out of instinct, Jia rolled into Eagle, and he threw one arm over her. Red scooted over to share the warmth and Jia snuggled her head down into the crook of his neck. _

_It took only about a minute before all three of them were asleep on the floor; Jia cuddled into Eagle's side, Eagle with his arm across her back, and Red being Jia's pillow. _

_It felt natural and right; and satisfying. Jia hadn't felt this complete or happy since Lavinia had been alive. It felt good._

* * *

Jia looked at Jacob, waiting for his reaction. That was one of her favorite memories; the three of them finally becoming an actual team, so tightly bound that the blink of an eye could communicate an entire sentence.

"So you're ticklish?" Jacob asked mischievously. Jia immediately picked up on his train of thought.

"No, please no, please no," she begged, but it was too late. Because she was pinned under Jacob, it was easy for him to tickle her and hard for her to get free. She shrieked with laughter as Jacob tickled her, her eyes squeezed shut as tears eeked out of the corners. Finally Jacob stopped and rolled off her. He lay next to her, staring up at the dark sky.

"You guys were close, huh?" he asked, breaking the minutes-long silence.

"We could talk to each other with only our eyes, we were so close," Jia said, sadness creeping into her voice.

"Mark, er, Eagle," Jacob said. "He was the team leader?"

"Yeah," Jia answered. "He had been working with Wolffe the longest, so he was the most accustomed to Wolffe's technics and tactics, and Wolffe had more trust in him. Apparently, a few months after he joined and before he got his own team, he was Wolffe's right hand, going on missions with him and everything." The pride in Jia's voice was unmistakable.

"Did they trust you at first?" Jacob asked, sitting up.

"They trusted me," Jia answered. "They just didn't think I could kill. They thought I was too soft. I proved them wrong."

Jacob let out a breath of laughter.

"Obviously."

"You're jealous of him, aren't you?" Jia asked, after another moment of silence.

"Who?" Jacob retorted, playing dumb.

"Eagle, you dumbass," Jia answered, rolling her eyes. "You're jealous of him."

"No," Jacob said too quickly. Jia just raised her eyebrows at him. Then she yawned and stood up.

"Well, whatevs," she said, turning to walk back into the Temple. "I gotta get back to sleep or I'll be too tired tomorrow."

She started walking away, but then she paused and turned back to where Jacob was still sitting.

"Hey, Jacob," she called back to him. He didn't acknowledge her. She sighed but continued speaking anyways. "Thanks. You were right, I do feel better."

"If I did something," Jacob asked, "would you kill me?"

"Depends on what you're going to do," Jia teased.

Jacob stood up and walked to where she was standing. Her teasing smile fell when she saw he wasn't joking. His eyes had a look in it that was vaguely familiar. It was the look Eagle had had in his eyes before he had-

Jacob leaned down and gently kissed Jia. She gasped and stumbled backwards.

"Are you gonna kill me?" Jacob asked, half-teasing half-serious.

Jia just stared at him with wide eyes. It wasn't that she didn't like the kiss. The kiss was fine. It was the fact that she couldn't love again. Not again. Everytime, the people she loved always ended up dead, either protecting her or protecting someone (or something) they loved.

"Jia," Jacob asked, concerned.

"I can't do it, Jacob," Jia whispered in a broken voice. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Hey," he said, lifting her chin so he could look her in the eyes. "Never apologize; it is a sign of weakness."

Jia stared up at him, and Jacob finally saw her for who she was. Not the assassin she thought she was, or the laughing, carefree girl in the memories. She was scarred and broken; looking for a way to make amends for all the crimes she had commited.

Jia was still for a moment longer, and then she offered a small smile.

"You _can_ do it," Jacob told her. "You did for Maddison, and that girl Lylla who took her shopping. And even that annoying pet of hers, Prima."

"But that's different," Jia said.

"How so?" Jacob asked.

"The love is different. Every boy I have ever loved always ends up dying to protect me," Jia said.

There was a moment of silence, and then Jacob said with a smirk, "Then I guess I'll just have to let you not get killed on your own and stay alive."


	20. Happy Birthday

**Happy Birthday**

Jia stomped angrily into the Council's meeting room, stopping in the center and putting her hands on her hips, glaring at them. Her glare caused them to pause for a few seconds, reconsidering what they were going to say.

"We have decided-," Obi-wan started, but Jia held up her hand and cut him off.

"Save it, Orange," she said. "I don't want to hear about what you've decided and how you're going to try and help me. I don't want your help, even if I might need it."

The Council remained silent, and Jia's lip curled up into a half-sneer half-smirk.

"Don't even try it. I don't care how powerful you are. I don't care if you are in control of whatever-the-hell you're in control of. You got inside my head twice. You sent your little friend Jacob to get inside my head three more times. And you got me pissed."

Again, silence.

"If you don't mind, or even if you do, I am going on the next mission Anakin and Ahsoka are going on. I have had about enough of your games," Jia said. She narrowed her eyes evily. "And if you try to stop me from going, I will tell everyone soething about each and every one of you."

"You don't know anything about us, young one," Windu said.

"Oh, don't I?" Jia asked, widening her eyes innocently. "I could start with Masters Kit Fisto and Aayla Secura. Or you, Master Windu, and the story of what happened when you, uuhh, came across your lightsaber crystal. I even got some dirt on Orange over there."

"Come across these stories, how have you?" Yoda asked.

"I read people Master Yoda," Jia said. "And I've spent some considerable time in the library, or whatever you call it. And I might have hacked into some of your secret vaults or whatever they are. Not to mention, ummm, maybe broken into your rooms and kinda, I don't know, snooped around some."

"You did what?" Windu asked, trying to push down his anger.

"I'm not gonna repeat myself, angry Jedi," Jia said. She was toying with them now, and it was fun. She actually hadn't done any of that. She was just cold reading them, saying random things until she got hits. And because of her former training, the random things weren't so random, especially since she had been trying to figure out how to get back at the Council for the last four days.

"She's bluffing," Obi-wan said.

"Am I?" Jia retorted.

"Why don't you tell us something right here, right now," Windu said. Jia smiled. She had been waiting for that. She might have been lying about the other things, but she did read people, and she had seen the way the Aayla Secura and Kit Fisto acted around each other. She might not be a Jedi, and she might not have known them for very long, but she didn't ned to be a rocket scientist to know they had been involved in a relationship.

"Master Fisto and Master Secura were on Kamino when Master Secura was knocked off a platform, am I right?" Jia asked them. Both Jedi nodded hesitantly, knowing where this was going. "She almost drowned, but Master Fisto jumped after her and saved her. That happened to start a-"

"Okay," Kit Fisto said. "We get it; you know stuff."

"Got something to hide, Jedi?" Jia taunted. She knew she was pulling strings and pushing buttons; and probably opening old wounds, but she didn't care. She was pissed at the Jedi, and she was letting her assassin-self take control of this want for payback. She knew that she wasn't being very nice, but the Jedi had gotten into her head, and seemed to her to think that they could go around doing whatever they pleased. She decided she needed to teach them a lesson. Or two.

"You can go with them," Obi-wan said tiredly.

"Oh, that's good," Jia said, "because I would really hate to tell everyone about Jedi Siri Tachi." So, maybe she had done some snooping. Obi-wan's jaw locked at that, and Jia smirked. "So, I'm going?"

"Yes," Windu said.

"Thank you," Jia told them with an overly-sweet smile plastered on her face. She knew she had them rattled; she could see it in their eyes. _Just because you're Jedi Masters,_ she thought smugly, _doesn't mean you're the only ones who know how to manipulate people. Or get inside their heads. And I don't need to use the mysterious Force to do it._

* * *

Jia knocked softly on the door to Maddison's dorm and waited as she heard the little girl shuffling around before the door opened.

"Jia," she cried in delight.

"Hey, Maddie,"Jia said, picking the little girl up. "I just wanted to tell you I'm going to be gone for the next few… while."

"Next few while?" Maddison repeated, giggling.

"Yes, the next few while," Jia responded with a smile. "I'm going to be with Master Skywalker and his Padawan."

"But I don't want you to go," Maddison said, her bottom lip jutting out in a pout.

"How bout I leave you the number to my comm, and then you can contact me whenever you want," Jia suggested.

"Okay," Maddison sighed.

Jia laughed, put Maddison down, and ruffled her hair.

"Come on," she said, walking into the dorm. "I need to say bye to Prima."

Jia had actually taken a liking to the strange-looking animal; and had assisted Maddison in some of the training. Prima was turning out to be a wonderful guard of Maddison's dorm, sleeping by day- with one eye and ear always open- and sitting guard at the foot of Maddison's bed by night. Jia felt satisfaction that the animal would be there to protect Maddison if anything went wrong while she was gone.

"Here it is," Jia said, handing Maddison a piece of paper with her comm number scribbled sloppily on it.

"I don't want you to go," Maddison said, still pouting.

"Well, you have Prima here to keep the monsters away," Jia said, starting to pack up her stuff. "Besides, me and Council aren't on the best of terms right now, so it's probably better if I leave for a little while."

"I still don't want you to go," Maddison muttered. Jia just laughed and ruffled her hair again.

"Jacob's gonna miss you," Maddison said suddenly. Jia paused at that and turned around to face to little girl.

"What do you mean?" she asked carefully. Maddison used the Force to close the door to her dorm and lock it, before sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"He really likes you," she said seriously, with a look on her face to match the seriousnss in her voice.

"I know," Jia said, still using that same careful tone.

"No, I mean he really, _really_ likes you," Maddison told the older girl.

"I know, Maddie," Jia repeated. She hesitated and then added, "He kissed me. He wouldn't do that if he didn't mean it."

"When did he kiss you?" Maddison asked, all the seriousness gone as she bounced excitedly up and down on her bed.

"Four nights ago, after I had my nightmare," Jia said, watching the little girl in amusement.

"I told you he liked you," Maddison said triumphantly. Jia just sighed and rolled her eyes; but a smile was tugging on the edges of her lips.

"But, just because you two will miss me doesn't stop me from going," Jia said, turning back to her suitcase.

"Jia, how old are you?" Maddison asked.

"I don't know," Jia answered.

"How can you not know your own age?" Maddison scoffed. "You're crazy." But it was true. Because she didn't know how long she had been unconscious after she had shot the box and she didn't have a calendar with her, she didn't know if she had had a birthday or not.

"Oooh, I know what you can do," Maddison said, clapping her hands, excited again. "You have some internal clock that stops you from sleeping past when the sun rises, so why don't you use that to count backwards. I mean, somewhere in your crazy head you should know how long it's been since your last lifeday."

"Lifeday?" Jia asked.

"Yeah, you know, when you came into life," Maddison said in a 'duh' tone. Jia smiled and laughed softly under her breath.

"Actually," she said, pausing in her packing again, "that's a good idea." She sat down next to Maddison and closed her eyes, focusing on her body clock. Slowly, she switched it back to Earth time, and then narrowed it down to Eastern time. And then, at a painfully slow pace, she worked backwards through the days, weeks, and then months. Suddenly, her eyes shot wide open.

"Oh my God," she said. "My birthday, er, lifeday is tomorrow. I turn seventeen."

"See?" Maddison said smugly. "I'm always right."

"And very full of yourself," Jia insulted playfully. Maddison just 'hmphed' and glared at Jia, who had gotten back up and continued packing.

"When are you leaving?" Maddison asked, all joking and excitement gone.

"In two days, I think," Jia said.

"Why are you packing now?"

"So I can be ready. I'll leave some outfits out, which, of course, you can chose." Maddison squealed in delight and jumped off her bed, running to Jia's side. She studied the clothing folded neatly next to each other in the suitcase, and then pulled out a pair of black cargo pants and placed them beside her. Next she pulled out Jia's pair of combat boots and a red cami. She added a thick black belt with a giant buckle that was covered in tiny, fake jewels.

"Black and red?" Jia asked with a sigh.

"They go good together," Maddison stated calmly as she placed the outfit to the side. She turned back to the suitcase and pulled out a strapless dress that stopped just above Jia's knees. It was white with royal blue flowers decorating it. She matched it with a pair of silver sandals that were adorned with fake jewels and a long necklace that had a silver arrow head and blue bead on it.

"You honestly expect me to wear a dress?" Jia asked.

"Yup," Maddison said, standing up dusting off her hands. Jia let out another sigh and Maddison grinned triumphantly.

"Kay, bye now," she said, pushing Jia out the door.

"Well, geez," Jia said as Maddison closed the door in her face.

"She's learning from you," Jacob said from behind Jia. Jia whirled around, her knife already in her hand. Jacob immediately backed up, having seen the damage she could do, and held up his hands in a non-threatening way. "Only me."

Jia let out a long breath and put her knife away.

"You can't scare me like that," she said, turning to walk down the hall, Jacob keeping pace with her. "One day you'll end up with a bullet in your head."

"I don't know what a bullet is," Jacob said, "but it sounds painful. And knowing you, it probably is." Jia just snorted.

"So, if Maddison told me correctly, tomorrow is your lifeday?" Jacob asked. Jia froze.

"How did she tell you?" she asked suspiciously, stopping and turning to Jacob. "She's only known for a whole of five minutes."

"When Jedi have a connection, they can communicate through the Force," Jacob explained.

"Like, telepathetically?" Jia asked.

"Not exactly, but that's close enough," Jacob said.

"So, she told you that my birthday, sorry, lifeday is tomorrow with her mind?" Jia asked, her voice rising a little in disbelief. Jacob just nodded. Jia shook her head and blinked. "You Jedi are strange people."

"Ouch," Jacob said. Jia rolled her eyes at him and started walking again.

"What do you want, Jacob?" she asked, her tone hinting at annoyance when Jacob kept pace with her again.

"Just wondering if you'd like a practice run," he said.

"Practice run of what?" Jia asked.

"Of fighting. Or whatever you do," Jacob answered.

"Against who?"

"Me," Jacob said.

"Are there going to be people watching again?" Jia questioned.

"I don't know," Jacob said with a shrug. "Maybe."

Jia was silent as she considered this. It would be fun to fight Jacob again; and this time it would be assassin against Jedi, not assassin-with-a-Jedi's-weapon against Jedi. And if there was a group to watch it would be all the better.

"Fine," she said, her eyes shining in excitement. "When will it be?"

"How about right now?" Jacob suggested.

"Is there a certain training room or something that you want to do it in?" Jia asked.

"Yeah," Jacob said, a smirk forming on his face. "The room with a giant window I can push you out of."

"It would be kinda hard to push me out if you were already falling out of it," Jia returned, her competitive streak taking hold.

"I could always use the Force," Jacob pointed out.

"You used the Force last time we fought and I still beat you," Jia said. Jacob's face twisted into pretend-disgust.

"I let you win," he scoffed.

"Riiiiiiiiiiight," Jia said, dragging out the syllable.

"You have way too much self-confidence," Jacob commented. He smirked. "I could work that in my favor."

"I'm an assassin, Jacob," Jia said. "You might be a Jedi with your Jedi senses and the almighty Force, but _I am an assassin_. A deadly shadow, waiting for my chance to strike and kill. You might be able to sense my pain from across the Temple, but I disappear and I kill." Jia paused here and smirked. "So just be warned."

* * *

Jia sat on the window sill, staring out the open window. The wind blew around her, whipping her ponytail into her face, stinging her eyes and sticking to the corners of her mouth. It was the day after she had practiced against Jacob; and her birthday. She remembered when everybody knew when her birthday was. Isaac had always made sure that she was sung "Happy Birthday" in every class.

She sighed. Everything was so different and confusing right now. Especially things having to do with Jacob. She didn't know how civilian teenaged girls handled it.

Jacob was competitive, like Eagle. He was a natural-born leader, like Eagle. He was skilled in his "_line of work,"_ like Eagle. He teased her, like Eagle. He flirted and challenged and spoke and walked, all like Eagle. He was almost exactly the same as Eagle. Except he wasn't Eagle.

Jacob hadn't pulled her out of a Mossad prison camp in the middle of the desert. Jacob hadn't risked Wolffe's anger to rescue her. Jacob hadn't fought Wolffe to save her. Jacob hadn't held her when she had cried after losing Cody. Jacob hadn't fought the FBI along with her. Eagle had.

Jia knew she wasn't being fair to Jacob. He hadn't exactly been there when Eagle had, so there was no way in hell he could have done everything Eagle had, but the thoughts still went through her head. Jia sighed again and took out her knife. She flipped out the main blade and watched as the silver flashed in the afternoon light.

She slid the tip backwards along the edge of her thumb, watching the tiny trail of blood it left. It didn't hurt any, and she knew it would be almost completely healed by the time she left with Ahsoka. She wasn't the type of person who did self-mutilation for an outlet of emotions, but sometimes the familiar sight of blood helped her feel grounded.

_Familiar sight of blood,_ Jia scoffed at herself. It was sad that blood was a "familiar sight" for her. She sighed again and turned her knife over and over in her hands. The red paint on the hilt was faded and chipping, but it was still a comforting sight. And a sad reminder.

She felt sudden fury flash through her. All this was Wolffe's fault. And the terrorists'. But it was easiest to blame Wolffe. In Jia's mind, it was him who had been the cause for most of her scars. Again, Jia knew she wasn't being fair, but again, she couldn't help it.

Jia ran her finger the length of the blade, and then twisted around sharply and threw her knife, like a Frisbee, at the wall. It flew, quicker than the eye could follow, and embedded itself into the wall, barely missing Jacob.

"I'm guessing that's my punishment for scaring you earlier," he said was he walked into the center of the room, sparing a glance at the knife. "You launching a knife at my head."

Jia gasped softly and spun around completely.

"Oh, hey, Jacob," she said quietly.

"So what's with you flinging knives all over the place?" he asked.

"I was betting it better if I take my anger out on the wall, not one of you Jedi people," Jia told him, hopping lightly off the window sill. She fell onto the floor with a raspberry and stared up at Jacob. He snorted in amusement and sat down next to her.

"You gonna say why you're so angry?" he asked when she didn't say anything else.

"Nope," Jia said, popping the 'p.' Jacob turned his head to look at Jia, and she stared back levelly.

"I can't do it, Jacob ," she said finally.

"Can't do what?" Jacob asked, pulling Jia up off the ground and wrapping one arm around her shoulders.

"Can't keep fighting for practice," she elaborated.

"Why?" Jacob asked.

"Do you know how hard it is for me to fight without killing?" Jia asked him.

"How would I know?" Jacob retorted. Jia closed her eyes for a long moment and then reopened them and looked up at him.

"Most of my fighting skills, my training, everything, is in my subconscious," Jia explained. "When I fight I either have to force myself not to go into a little subconscious trance, or I have to force myself out of it. If I lose control of myself for just one second… I could kill one of you. I just can't do it any-"

She was cut off as Jacob pressed his lips against hers, silencing her. Jia's eyes widened in shock at first, but then she was kissing him back. Jacob wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap. The movement caused Jia to realize what was happening and she pulled away from him.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked her, concerned.

"You could get in so much trouble for this," she whispered. "And it would be my fault."

"Okay, one, stop being so dramatic. Everything's gonna be fine," Jacob said, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Two, it wouldn't be your fault. Technically, I kissed you."

"But I would take the blame," Jia said in a stronger voice.

"No you wouldn't," Jacob argued.

"Yes, I would," Jia said. Her deep blue eyes searched his pale green ones, begging him to understand. "I take the blame. I take the heat. And I take the punishment. It's what I do."

"Did," Jacob corrected. It was easy for him to guess she was talking about her time on Earth with her family and her assassin group. "You don't need to do that anymore. You don't need to protect me or Ahsoka or Lylla or even Maddison."

Jia was silent, not having one of her usual snappy remarks to respond to that. When she remained silent, Jacob placed one hand on the back of her neck and kissed her again. This time Jia responded immediately, wrapping her arms around Jacob's neck and pulling her body closer to his and forcing him to fall back onto the floor. He reached one hand around behind her head and pulled out her hair-tie, causing her hair to fall softly onto her back and shoulders. He then trailed his fingers down her body, stopping at the small of her back.

Jia closed her eyes, letting her other senses take over. Her nerves were already on edge like they were whenever someone startled her, and her ears were listening closely for the sound of footsteps. She took a deep breath in through her nose and a musky forest scent hit her nose. She would always associate that smell with Jacob from that moment foreward.

Suddenly Jacob flipped them over and a surprised squeak escaped Jia. Jacob looked at her in amusement, trying not to laugh at the look on her face. As soon as she realized Jacob was finding humor at her expense, her face molded into a pout. At that, Jacob lost his fragile composure and started laughing.

"Not cool," Jia muttered. Jacob immediately stopped laughing. He ran his fingers through her soft hair and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of it. Her eyes reopened when Jacob removed his hand from her hair, and she looked at him questioningly.

Jacob stood up and reached down to help Jia up off the floor. She accepted his hand and he pulled her up. She ran a hand through her hair, moving it out of her face. She turned to face Jacob and found he was closer than she had expected. Gently, he placed one hand on each cheek and gave her quick, soft kiss.

Jia tipped her head to the side, watching him curiously. Jacob yanked her knife out of the wall and flipped the blade back into the hilt. Jia reached for it, but he ingored her out-stretched hand reached down, sliding it into the pouch on her waistline. His hands lingered for a moment longer than necessary, and then he stood up straight.

"Happy birthday, Jia," he said softly.


	21. Look Alikes

**Look Alikes**

Jia winced as Maddison yanked the brush roughly through her hair.

"_Oww,_" she hissed as Maddison hit another tangle.

"Beauty is painful," Maddison said indifferently as she separated some hair from the rest and started tightly braiding it.

"That's why I don't worry about being beautiful," Jia said through clenched teeth, annoyed at both herself and the younger girl.

"Oh, come on," Maddison tried to encourage as she tied off the braid and started a new one. "It's gonna be so pretty when I'm done." Jia just grumbled something inarticulate in response. Finally, Maddison finished, and Jia let out a breath of relief. She stood up to look in the mirror, her eyes widening in shock when she saw all the tiny braids.

"I look hideous," she muttered, turning to Maddison. Maddison just giggled.

"I'm not done yet silly," she said. Jia turned to look at her in disbelief.

"You're kidding, rght?" she squeaked.

"Nope," Maddison said, grabbing Jia's hand and leading her to the sink. "Now I'm gonna shampoo and condition your hair, and then I'm gonna dry it."

Jia groaned and slumped her shoulders in defeat. Maddison pushed her down into a chair and reclined it. She grabbed Jia's braided hair in one hand and yanked her head back. Jia yelped in pain as her hair pulled on her now-tender scalp. She heard someone laughing quietly and looked up to see Jacob standing in the doorway of Maddison's refresher watching the whole scene with amusement.

"Shut up," Jia growled at him.

"I never said anything," Jacob said, choking down his laughter. Maddison walked up to her older cousin and pulled him into the tiny refresher.

"See?" she told him. "I told you she looked different."

"Please don't tell me you two were doing your little communicate-telepathetically-because-you're-Jedi thing again," Jia begged.

"Okay," Jacob agreed, "we weren't doing our little-"

Jia cut him off by throwing her knife at him. He caught it by the hilt and smirked at Jia, who was staring at him in surprise and disbelief.

"I'm betting no one's ever caught the knife you threw at them," Jacob guessed, flipping the blade back into the hilt. Jia just let out a short raspberry and reached for her knife.

"Nuh-uh," Jacob said, pulling the knife out of reach and slapping Jia's hand away. Jia started to get up but fell back hard into the chair. She looked over at Maddison, who had a very concentrated look on her face.

"Maddie, let me go," Jia ordered. Maddison just shook her head. Jia sighed. "Please?" Again, Maddison shook her head.

Jia turned to Jacob and stared at him with wide, pleading eyes. Jacob's smirk changed into a thoughtful look, and Jia could tell he was considering something.

"You know," he said slowly, the smirk reforming, "it would be fun to see how much you'll beg and what you'll agree to to get your knife back."

Jia glared at him and tried again to get up to no avail. She turned her glare on Maddison, who shrank back and hid behind her cousin, but didn't release her.

"Please will you let me go?" she asked, and then added, "and give me my knife back?"

"Maddison, let her go," Jacob commanded his little cousin after a moment. Maddison looked confused but did as he asked. Jia immediately jumped out of the chair and leapt at Jacob. He side-stepped out of the way and watched, expecting her to hit the wall. Instead, she twisted her body in mid-air and landed in a crouch a foot behind him.

Jacob turned to face her, but she was gone. He looked around, trying to spot her. When he couldn't, he searched for her through the Force. He wasn't able to sense her until she was suddenly flattening him to the ground. She grabbed for her knife, but Jacob rolled diagonal onto his shoulder, out of Jia's arm's reach, bringing the knife with him.

"_Please?_" Jia asked, sitting back on her knees.

"No," Jacob said. Jia glowered at him and then leapt at him again. She tackled him to the floor and sat on his stomach, pinning his arms down with her knees.

"Give me my knife," she growled, leaning down to grab it. Using the Force, Jacob dislodged one of her knees, wrapped hs arm around her waist and flipped them over so she was the one pinned down.

"No," he repeated. Jia tried to squirm free, but Jacob pinned her arms to her sides with his knees and placed one arm over her throat, restricting her breathing. She immediately ceased in her struggling and just glared at him. Jacob flipped out the blade and held it in front of Jia, so close it made her go cross-eyed.

"You gonna try and mess with my head again?" Jia asked him.

"Actually, yeah," Jacob said, "I was." Jia's eyes narrowed and he added, "Unless…"

"Unless what?" she snapped. Jacob smirked.

"You wear that dress that Maddison set out for you."

"Oh, hell to the no," Jia cried. "I am _not_ wearing a _dress_."

"You are if you want your knife back," he retorted. Jia let out a soft growl. "Why do you even have a dress, anyways?"

"Undercover ops," she explained with a huff.

"That actually makes sense," Jacob said, sounding surprised. "But you're still wearing that dress."

* * *

Jia stared at her reflection in the mirror with a mixture of horror and shock. Maddison had somehow managed to make her hair semi-permanently kinky, and Jia wasn't sure if she hated or loved her new hair. It was completely different from the smooth, wavy hair that went down to her mid-back that she was used to.

"I look like Shakira when she hasn't done anything to her hair," she said, reaching up to pat her fluffy, frizzy, shoulder-length hair.

"You look very pretty," Maddison contradicted from her bed.

"How long will this last?" Jia asked with a sigh.

"Well, if I did it right, a couple months," Maddison answered.

"Couple months?" Jia squeaked.

"It's not that bad," Maddison said. "It actually does look pretty."

"I know," Jia said. "It'll just take some to get used to." Maddison gave a satisfied smile and Jia couldn't help but return it.

She stepped out of the refresher and quickly changed out of her PJ's into her black cargo pants and red cami. As soon as she moved to finish packing the last few things, the shirt rode up to her belly button. Jia looked down and gave another sigh. Because of how heavy her pants were, she knew they were going to be low on her hips. She hadn't counted on a shirt the rode up. She buckled her belt around her waist then stepped into her boots and laced them up tightly; exactly like her dad had taught her.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with my hair," she said, zipping her suitcase up.

"You don't need to do anything," Maddison pointed out. "It'll stay out of your face the way it is." Jia just shrugged. There was a knock on the door and Maddison hopped off her bed to go see who it was.

"It's Jacob," she called to Jia. Jia stood up and turned around to face Jacob.

"Come to say bye?" she asked.

"No," Jacob said. "Came to give you your knife back." As soon as he said that, Jia reached out and snatched her knife off his utility belt.

"Thank you," she sighed.

"Welcome," Jacob said. Jia slid her knife into its pouch and looked back up at Jacob, who was studying her closely.

"Like what you see?" Jia asked him, snorting.

"Actually, yeah. Better than I liked you in that dress, anyways," Jacob told her.

"Uh-huh," Jia agreed with him. Jacob rolled his eyes.

"So do you know what your mission is?" he asked her.

"No," Jia said. "Now, why would I go through the trouble of finding that out ahead of time?"

"Just to be prepared," Jacob answered with a shrug.

"There's no fun in that, though," Jia pretend-whined. Jacob snorted and rolled his eyes. Jia turned to her suitcase and bent down to pull something out. She found what she was looking for: another ear bud. She turned back around to face Jacob and held it out to him.

"What is this?" he asked her as he took it out of her hand and studied it.

"It's an ear bud. Used much like your comms except once you turn them on they stay on until you turn them off. And they go in your ear, not on your wrist of wherever you put them," Jia answered. "We used them all the time under Wolffe. Took me forever to find some here."

"Why are you giving this to me?" Jacob asked.

"I have it all set for you, all you have to do is turn it on. It's so you can listen in on how the mission is going," Jia said. "You can spy on us."

"And if I want to actually talk to you?" Jacob asked her in an annoyed tone.

"Maddison has my comm number," Jia told him, picking up her suitcase and starting to lug it to the place Lylla was going to pick her up. She paused in the doorway and turned back to Jacob. Sighing, she dropped the suitcase and went over and hugged him; and then Maddison. She gave Prima a kiss on the top of her head .

"Bye, guys," she said. "I'll try to be back soon."

She picked up her suitcase again and continued down the hallway and out onto a landing platform, where Lylla was waiting with her speeder.

"Nice outfit," she teased.

"Hey, it allows me to get my job done, and still look sexy," Jia said with a smile.

"You are way to full of yourself," Lylla muttered as she took off into the stream of speeders. "So do the Jedi know you're "accompanying" them on their mission?"

"Not that I know of," Jia answered.

"So you're just gonna walk onto the ship and say "hey guys, I'm going on this mission with you"?" Lylla asked incredulously.

"Preeeetty much," Jia said.

"You're-," Lylla started.

"Crazy," Jia finished for her. "So you have said before."

"I only speak the truth and nothing but the truth," Lylla told her smugly.

"Whatevs," Jia said, rolling her eyes. "We can both think of a time when you lied to everybody for three full months."

"Two months," Lylla corrected.

"_Whatever_," Jia said. Lylla just laughed at her. She hovered the speeder over the port Jia's ship was in, and Jia slung her suitcase over her shoulder.

"So, how long until I see you again?" Lylla asked.

"As long as need be," Jia answered. Lylla sighed and she said, "I honestly don't know. Sorry, Ly."

"Fine," Lylla said, a smile tugging at her mouth. "Just get out of my speeder. You're tainting it with your assassin stink."

"Well then," Jia muttered, but she was smiling also. She jumped over the edge of the speeder, but turned in mid-air and gripped the side of it, dangling off the edge. She looked down, judging the distance between her and the top of her ship. Guessing about fifteen feet, she dropped her bag first and then released her hands. She landed lightly on her feet and turned to wave at Lylla as she flew away.

She grabbed her bag and slid down one side of her ship to where the entrance was. She punched in the security code and then placed her hand on the sensor, letting it count her pulse and scan her fingerprints. Finally the door slid open and Jia went into her ship. It was a little dusty after not having been used for a couple weeks, but other than that it was perfectly fine. She dropped her bag on her bed and went into the cockpit. She turned the ship on, watching as everything lit up different colors as it was reactivated.

Once everything was on, she took off, ignoring the fact that she was supposed to wait until she got an 'all clear' from the people who worked at the port. She maneuvered her ship through the busy skies of Coruscant and into space. There, she stopped her ship and ran into her computer room. Sitting down at one of the computers, she had it search for the _Resolute_'s coordinates, and then sent them to the hyperdrive. She felt her ship give a slight jerk like it always did when it went into hyperspace and smiled.

Maybe it was her "assassin senses" or the fact that she hadn't been on a mission in forever, but she could tell the mission was going to be….. different.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Anakin said. "You blackmailed the Jedi Council into letting you come on this mission with us?"

Jia pretened to think and then nodded.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Why us?" Anakin asked, almost whining.

"Well, geez," Jia said. "Do you suddenly not like me?"

"It's not me," Anakin muttered. Jia knew he was talking about Rex.

"Well he can get over it," she sighed. "Just 'cause he doesn't like me isn't going to stop me from going on a mission with you guys."

Anakin stared at her for a moment longer and then sighed and shifted his weight. Jia knew she had won and was staying with them.

"You can bunk with Ahsoka," he muttered. Jia smiled and picked up her bag and walked to Ahsoka's quarters. She opened the door and Ahsoka looked over at her in shock, and then delight.

"Jia," she squealed, jumping off her bed and hugging Jia.

"Hi to you, too," Jia said laughing.

"I didn't know you were coming with us," Ahsoka said, stepping back.

"I didn't either until two days ago," Jia said.

"So did you sneak away to come with us?" Ahsoka asked.

"Nope," Jia said. "I blackmailed the Council until letting me come."

"You did what?" Ahsoka asked in disbelief.

"Let's walk and talk," Jia said, throwing her suitcase onto the floor. "I have friends I would like to see."

"'Kay," Ahsoka said.

"So you blackmailed the Jedi Council?" she asked Jia as they walked down the hall.

"Something like that," Jia said.

"How?" Ahsoka asked.

"I did some snooping around and I happened to learn a few things about your Jedi Council," Jia answered.

"You're horrible," Ahsoka said, but there was awe in her voice.

"Nah," Jia said, turnin to Ahsoka with a smile. "I'm an assassin."

"Whatever you are, I still can't believe you blackmailed the Jedi Council," Ahsoka said.

"It wasn't that hard really," Jia told her. "And I didn't really blackmail them; I just messed with their heads."

"That might be even worse than blackmailing," Ahsoka cried.

"Ehh," Jia shrugged.

"So what happened to your hair?" Ahsoka asked as they turned a corner.

"That little girl Maddison got a hold of it," Jia sighed. Ahsoka snickered and Jia spun around to glare at her. "It was downright painful, just so you know."

"Okay, so she made you look like-," Ahsoka said, but paused here and tipped her head to the side to study Jia.

"I look like a singer from my planet named Shakira," Jia said.

"She made you look like Shakira?" Ahsoka asked.

"Pretty much," Jia answered.

"Well, on the bright side there's a chance no one will recognize you," Ahsoka told her brightly. "Being an assassin, that's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah, if I'm on an undercover op," Jia said.

"You're on an undercover op?" another voice joined in the conversation. Jia looked up and smiled.

"Kix," she cried, jumping onto him and giving him a tight hug.

"Jia," Kix choked out. "Jia, you're choking me."

"Oops," Jia said, releasing him from her death grip.

"No, Jia's not on an undercover op," Ahsoka answered him. "She was just explaining something to me."

"Oh," Kix said. He studied Jia for a moment, and then asked, "What happened to your hair?"

Ahsoka and Jia exchanged a glance, and Ahsoka bit her tongue to keep from laughing.

"Déjà vu," Jia said in a sing-song voice under her breath. "A little girl at the Jedi Temple decided to play hair salon with me," she told him in a louder voice.

"It looks….. different," Kix said carefully.

"And probably pretty strange," Jia muttered.

"Yeah, that, too," Kix agreed. Jia just rolled her eyes.

"Come on," Ahsoka said, hopping impatiently from one foot to the other.

"Okay, I'm coming," Jia said with a sigh. "See you later, Kix."

Ahsoka let out a breath of impatience as Jia walked at a slow pace.

"Why the rush?" she asked Ahsoka.

"I want you to go talk to Rex," Ahsoka said. "But you won't do that until you've said 'hi' to all your clone buddies."

"You know me too well," Jia smirked. The girls walked into the Mess Hall, and immediately all the noise and talking ceased as they stared at the semi-familiar girl walking with their Commander.

"It's sad that none of you remember me," sh said.

"Jia," Fives said in surprise. "What happened to-?"

"My hair?" Jia finished for him. "Long story. So are you guys gonna come say 'hi' or just stare at me dumbly?"

"You haven't changed a bit," someone said from behind her. Jia tipped her head back and saw Admiral Yularen standing behind her.

"Hi, Admiral," she said brightly. He just closed his eyes for a long minute and then walked past her. "Rude much," she muttered in a not-so-quiet voice.

The Admiral showed no indication that he heard her comment, and Jia stuck her tongue out at his back and made a face at him, causing the clones to snicker.

"Good to have you back," Hardcase whispered to her as he passed her. "It was very boring around here without you."

"Oh, I doubt that," Jia returned. Hardcase just winked at her and continued out the door. Jia looked around and smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" Ahsoka asked suspiciously.

"I'm already planning how to disrupt the boring life that you guys live while on this ship," Jia said, tipping her head to the side as she thought.

* * *

Jia pulled against Ahsoka as Ahsoka dragged her down the hall, but Ahsoka held her in an iron grip.

"I'm not talking to him," she hissed.

"Yes, you are," Ahsoka said with a sigh. She came to Rex's quarters and banged on the door. Jia made another attempt to get away, but Ahsoka yanked her towards the door and Jia had to stop struggling to stop herself from hitting the door. The door slid open right at that moment, though, so Jia ended up knocking into Rex. Ahsoka released her and she knocked Rex over. He instinctively turned so Jia fell on top of him.

"Okay, well, I'll just leave you two to talk," Ahsoka said with a smile. "This door doesn't open back up until you guys are friends again."

Jia jumped off of Rex and glared at Ahsoka, who shrugged and shut the door.

"I'm going to kill her," Jia growled, glaring at the door.

"Or we could just pull a prank on her for payback," Rex said, pushing himself off the floor. Jia turned to look at him, and evil glint in her eyes. Then she paused.

"Wait, Ahsoka might be listening, or she might have bugged your quarters," she said quietly. She pulled out her phone and brought up a 3-D map of the _Resolute _on it. She found Rex's quarters on the map and had it start sweeping for listening or watching devices.

"I thought you needed your computers to do that," Rex said, sitting down on the edge of his bed. Jia came and sat next to him and showed him her phone.

"No. I just need a computer _device_," she said. "This is like a mini laptop. Sort of. Kind of." The phone beeped twice and Jia smiled. "It's clean."

"Good, so what are we going to do?"Rex asked her. Jia bit her lip thoughtfully.

"Rex," she asked slowly, "how long would it take to get the supplies to forge a lightsaber?"

* * *

Jia woke up and sat up quickly. Something was wrong; her "danger-sense" was going off, making her skin crawl.

"Ahsoka," she said, "Ahsoka get up. Now!"

"What? Why?" Ahsoka asked groggily, almost falling out of her bunk.

"Just get up. And get together stuff that you wouldn't want to leave on the frigate if it's going down," Jia ordered, already moving. She already had her clothes in her suitcase and her computer put in its case. She ran into the refresher and grabbed the shower stuff, ignoring that it was still wet from her shower and throwing them into the suitcase.

Ahsoka was stumbling around, struggling to wake up. Impatient and needing Ahsoka to be fully awake, Jia tossed a cup of cold water onto her while walking past her.

"Hey!" Ahsoka objected, her eyes snapping wide open.

"Well, it worked," Jia said. "Now hurry up and get packed. And get it onto my ship."

With that, she ran out the quarters with her suitcase and laptop. She quickly dumped them in her ship, and then she ran out into the hallway. Waking up everyone personally would take too long. Something was wrong, she could tell, and they needed to get off the ship. She turned in circles, looking for anything that could trigger an alarm. Then an idea came to her.

Quickly, she pulled out her phone and hacked into the alarm and security systems on the ship. She scanned the screen, trying to decide what she should activate. Not being able to decide, she slid her finger down the screen, activating everything.

Alarms and sirens started blaring and the lights cut off. A few seconds later the emergency lights came on. The blast doors slammed shut, locking her in the hallway. Suddenly, one opened and Ahsoka ran into the hallway with a backpack and a duffle bag.

"What did you _do_?" she cried.

"Set off the alarms and activated all the security thingymajigs," Jia answered calmly.

"Why?" Ahsoka asked in a high-pitched voice.

"We need to get off this ship," Jia snapped. She had flipped the switch on her comm, and her voice was coming through the ships main intercom. "I may not be a Jedi, but I can tell when something's wrong. Comes from being wanted in over twenty different countries. _Something is wrong_. We need to go. Now."

"How do you know we need to leave?" Ahsoka asked.

At that moment, something hit the ship, causing it to rock and the emergency lights to blink.

"I just do," Jia said. Ahsoka stared at her for a moment longer, and then nodded. She walked past Jia into her ship and threw her stuff onto the floor.

"Jia, what is going on?" Jacob's voice buzzed into her ear through the ear bud.

"Have you been listening this whole time?" Jia asked.

"And I never said a word," Jacob said smugly. Jia slid her phone into her back pocket and started running down the hall, opening the blast doors.

"I don't know yet," she answered his question.

"You get out of there," Jacob ordered.

"_Working on it_," Jia hissed as she forced a jammed blast door open.

"Don't you have your own ship?" Jacob asked.

"I am _not_ leaving the clones here to die," Jia snapped.

"Okay," Jacob said, surprised by her tone.

"Okay, gotta go," Jia said. "Bye."

"Wait," Jacob cried.

"What?" Jia snapped, impatient.

"What can I do to help?" Jacob asked.

"Shut up and go away," Jia muttered.

"Not nice," Jacob commented. Jia ran around a corner and skidded to a stop when she saw Rex.

"Jia, what is going on?" Rex asked.

"Déjà vu," Jia muttered. "Aagin." Raising her voice she said, "I. Don't. Know. Just get the men to your escape ships-"

"Pods," Rex corrected.

"Whatever," Jia said. "Get them there and get them out."

"Roger that," Rex said, turning down a different hall. Jia could here him shouting orders at the men.

"So what can I do?" Jacob repeated his question.

"Do you know how to hack?" Jia asked a little breathlessly.

"No, but I can track you and try to see what other ships are in your sector," Jacob suggested.

"Sure," Jia said, not really understanding what he said. "That works."

She ran to the bridge where Admiral Yularen and some other clones were attempting to fire back at whatever had hit them.

"They have a cloaking device," she heard on the clones say.

"Don't try it then," Jia ordered, coming to stand behind him, studying the information on the screen. "Just get out of here. Now. Go."

"You do not have the authority to give them orders," Admiral Yularen said. Jia whipped around to glare and him, and then took a few steps towards him.

"I don't care what authority I have and don't have," she said in a low voice. "All of you are to get to the escape pods. Right now. That is an _order_, Admiral."

Admiral Yularen glared back at her for a few more moments, but another missile hitting the ship made up his mind.

"Alright," he said. "Everybody out." She watched the different screens, waiting until all the escape pods had been jettison into space, and then she ran back to her ship.

"Where have you been?" Ahsoka snapped.

"Just get in the cockpit and get us out of here," Jia ordered sharply."Jacob, I need whatever info you got, now."

"It is an unidentified ship," Jacob started.

"I know it's unidentified because it has a cloaking device, so we can't see the stupid thing," Jia hissed.

"I wasn't done," Jacob told her. Jia huffed, but remained silent, and he continued. "It is also unregistered, but I know that it isn't a Separatist ship."

"So whatever is trying to kill us, isn't part of one enemy, they're part of the other enemy," Jia muttered. "'Kay, thanks, Jacob."

"There's more," Jacob said. "This ship has been recorded before. Guess what for."

"Attacking and downing Republic frigates," Jia said. "Especially the ones that have Jedi in them."

"Good guess," Jacob said, sounding impressed.

"It wasn't a guess," Jia said darkly. "I've seen this type of work before. In Wolffe's group we called it the down-and-ditch. Usually it was Willow's team sent to do the dirty work. They would gather together stealth weapons and go hunt down terrorist cells. Their targets were al-Queda cells, but if they came across another terrorist safehouse, they would destroy. Usually burn it right to the ground with the people inside. Then they would ditch, sometimes leaving a threat written on the wall or somewhere for whoever found the burned cell.

So whoever is attacking us has done this sort of thing before, is ruthless, and doesn't give a crap about the fact that escape pods are probably flying right past him."

"Or her," Jacob cut in.

"Let me talk," Jia snapped. "They're after Jedi, no doubt, and they obviously have no love for the Republic. But they are leaving the clones alone. Strange. Okay, great job. Thanks, Jacob."

"Do I get an extra kiss for my work?" Jacob asked.

"I'm nowhere near the Temple right now, so no," Jia said.

"I meant when you get back," Jacob said with a sigh.

"I dunno," Jia said with a shrug. "Bye now."

She pulled her ear bud out of her ear, turned it off, and put it back in her ear.. She walked into the cockpit where Ahsoka was focusing on flying around the burning debris of the frigate.

"How we doing?" Jia asked, sliding into the co-pilot's chair.

"Good," Ahsoka answered. "By the way, Iove your ship. It has almost all the newest technology, cloaking device included in that, and flies almost silently. And it's really smooth. It took me a moment to figure out if I had detached from the frigate or not."

"Oh," Jia said distractedly, "I wouldn't have known. I'm going to see if I can find out what ship is following us." She got up and went into her computer room.

She sat downon the one that had schematics for the _Resolute, _changed the screen to a map of the sector they were in, and sent out magnetic pulses. When that didn't work, she put on a pair of headphones and sent out a ping. She waited and waited and waited, and was about to deem that failure when the ping came back. It showed up on the map and she let out a whoop. She started typing in commands, trying to hack the ships maintenance and bring up the schematic of the ship.

She let out a growl of frustration when only got half of the ship. She couldn't tell if it was the upper half or the lower half. After a couple more tries, she gave up, downloaded the map onto her phone, and went back into the cockit.

"I've got a location," she said, showing Ahsoka the map.

"Okay, so we'll stay clear of that area," Ahsoka said as they entered the atmosphere of the planet they were above.

"Come on," Jia said quietly, crossing her fingers. "Let's try and get there with out anymore-"

The shuddering of the ship followed by the sound of creaking metal made her pause.

"Problems," she finished with a sigh. Ahsoka turned wide blue eyes to her and Jia knew she was waiting to be told what she should do.

"Go the the escape pods," Jia told her.

"How many are there?" Ahsoka asked.

"Two," Jia answered. "Now go."

"I'm not leaving you," Ahsoka said stubbornly.

"I'll be right behind you," Jia assured. She followed Ahsoka down the escape pods and waited for her to climb into one. Quickly, she slid the door shut and locked it.

"Hey," Ahsoka yelled, turning around and banging on the window. Jia gave her an apologetic look and then jettison her towards the planet.

Her ship gave a massive heave and she lost her balance and fell onto the ground. Suddenly, the shaking stop and everything became eerily quiet and still. Then the door to her ship slid open, revealing a group of….. _What the hell are those?_ The one that was in the lead was a male human, and he looked painfully familiar. Jia guessed he was about eighteen or nineteen. He had a shaved head, tan skin, gleaming white teeth, and honey colored eyes. She blinked, shook her head, and took a double take. There was no way that could be what she thought it was.

He stepped to the side and let the rest of the Its surround Jia. They circled her and pointed their weapons at her. Jia studied each one closely, feeling her chances of fighting her way out getting slimmer and slimmer.

"Hands up," one of them ordered. Jia shifted her position on the floor so she could raise her hands without falling on her face, and the Its immediately tensed. "Don't move," the same It said.

"I can either raise my hands or not move," Jia snapped. "You decide."

"Fiesty," the leader of the its said, slowly walking forewards so he stood in front of Jia. His voice caused Jia to freeze and she got a feeling of dread in her stomach that she knew what the leader was. He crouched down so he was eye level with her and roughly grabbed her chin in his hand. "I like feisty."

"Good for you," Jia said sarcastically. "Now, what do you want? Me to raise my hands or me to not move?"

The leader chuckled and ran his hand up the side of her face. Jia jerked her head away from his touch and glared at him.

"That was moving," he told her.

"I don't care what was moving," Jia said. "I do care about the fact that you were touching me. Don't do it again."

"You don't tell me what to do," the leader said, sounding amused. Jia glanced around. The rest of the Its had lowered their weapons and their attention was starting to wander elsewhere. Pretty much, the only person that was paying attention to her was the leader.

The leader was studying her face, so Jia moved her hand to her hip and slid her knife out of its pouch undetected. She silently flipped out the blade and waited until the leader reached for her again. She lashed out with her knife, cutting him across the palm of his hand.

"Firfek," she heard him curse, using the same word she had heard some of the clones use when they cursed.

Not waiting for him to recover, she leapt onto the nearest It. It bucked, trying to throw her off, but she held on. She positioned her hands on the side of his face and jerked his head quickly to the side. He went limp and fell to the floor. She rolled out from under it right before it hit the ground and knocked the feet out from under another It. This one turned out to be female. She twisted as she fell so she landed in push-up positon on top of Jia. Jia put her hands backwards next to her ears and arched her back up, using her hands to help her. The Its head hit her chest and jerked back. She rolled, unconscious, onto the floor.

Another It charged at Jia, swinging at her with its rifle. Jia ducked and twirled; and then grabbed the rifle when it swung at her again. The It stared at her for a moment in shock, and Jia used that moment to yank the rifle out of its grasp and hit it in the head with the butt of the rifle.

She looked around. There had been sixIts to start with, not counting the leader, and she had already taken down three of them. Now, though, the other three were on high alert and ready to fight her. Jia twirled it in her hands; in front of her body and behind her back. They other Its hesitated, watching her warily.

"Stop," the leader ordered. Jia ceased in her spinning the rifle, but she remained holding it. She gripped the hilt of her knife tightly, readying herself for an attack. He walked forewards until he stood in front of Jia. "She's mine. I fight her."

Jia raised her eyebrows at that and smirked.

"Suit yourself," she said. The leader charged at Jia, and she side-stepped. He spun around and shot at her. She didn't take time to notice he was firing stunning shots at her.

Punches and kicks flew and were blocked. Jia got kicked in the ribs, wincing as she heard the crack of bone. It was the same rib Peixe had broken when she had been training Shadow Squad in hand-to-hand combat. Finally she managed to get the upper hand, grabbing the leader's arm, shifting her weight to the side, and flinging him over her shoulder. He landed in front of her with a dull thud and she sat down on top of him, grabbed one arm, and twisted it behind him at an impossible angle.

"I win," she said, breathing heavily.

"No you don't," he said. He raised his gun, but she lunged and grabbed it before he could fire. She didn't know it was a signal for the remaining Its to shoot at her. She was hit three times with a stunning blast in the back. She sank gracefully onto the floor, unconscious.

* * *

_Of course the mission couldn't go smoothly, that would just be too boring. Let me know what you think. This might be the last chapter I'm able to download for the next two weeks. Key word: might. I'll try to get another chapter up before my Internet goes out._


	22. Hostage

_This chapter brings in another character from the SW universe. I have the next chapter mostly written, so that should be up in a few days, also. Two weekends from now everything is going to go on halt again. My great-grandma died Wednesday morning, and the funeral is in two weekends, way far across the country. _

_I put this on my profile, but I'll put it here, too: t__hank you to my reviewers. I keep writing and updating because I know you guys are enjoying the story. And, as always, constructive criticism is welcome._

**Hostage **

Jia's mind slowly started working again. As she came to, she heard two voices talking. She bit back a groan of pain, making herself lie still so she could listen.

"I already told you: she isn't the Jedi," a voice said.

"But she has skill," Jia recognized the leader's voice. "Most people won't attack a group of seven bounty hunters, and most can't manage to kill one."

"So what would we do with her?" the other voice asked.

"She can help us get the Jedi," the leader answered.

"How do we know she'll coöperate?"

"Oh, she will," the leader said. Jia could tell he was smiling. "I'll make sure of that. How long until she wakes back up?"

"She was hit three times with a stunning round," the other hunter said. "It should take about an hour."

"No it won't," Jia countered weakly. The leader whipped around, his gun at ready. "Chill, Baldy," Jia said, pushing herself up from the floor. She winced as her broken rib was jostled.

The leader glanced at the It and gave a tiny nod. The It hesitated for a moment, and then turned and left the room. The leader came and crouched down next to Jia and grabbed her arms and pulled her up from the ground.

"Ouch," she whimpered.

"Your own fault," the leader said. "You shouldn't have fought."

"Instinct," Jia hissed through clenched teeth. The leader let out a snort of laughter as he guided her over to the cot that was on the floor. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Taping up your rib," the leader replied, rolling her shirt up.

"Why, exactly?" Jia snapped, slapping his hand away.

"If you're going to help us," he said.

"Which I'm not," Jia interrupted.

"We are going to need you uninjured," he continued as if Jia hadn't said anything.

Jia glared at him, but allowed him to continue. She let out a hiss of pain as his hands pressed on the rib.

"Just hurry up," she muttered.

"Still trying to tell me what to do?" the leader asked in amusement.

"No, not trying. I am telling you what to do," Jia returned. She let out a yelp of pain as the leader patted the broken rib when he finished taping it up.

"Okay," he said. "Done."

Jia immediately scooted away from him and sat up. He laughed.

"Do you honestly find me that funny, or are you simply trying to annoy the hell out of me with your laughter?" she asked him. He didn't answer. Instead, he sat down in front of her. Jia studied him through narrowed eyes, and then she sat down, too, cross-legged.

"Who trained you?" he asked after she got situated.

"Blake Wolffe," Jia answered promptly. She saw him raise his eyebrows, and she knew she had surprised him by the fact that she had given the name up so easily. She smirked. "Surprised?"

"I didn't expect you to say his name," he said.

"Well, listen here, It Leader," Jia said, leaning forwards a little bit. "I don't like him, which is why I told you his name, but you won't get anything with him. Number one, he's from a planet you haven't ever heard of, and number two, he's dead."

"How did he die?" It Leader asked curiously.

"I killed him," Jia answered promptly. It was a better answer than: 'my best friends died to protect me, killing Wolffe in the process.'

"You killed the person who trained you?" It Leader asked incredulously.

"Yes," Jia said. "Does that surprise you?"

It Leader paused and then shook his head.

"No."

Jia snorted in disbelief and said, "Whatever."

"What do you know about the Jedi?" It Leader asked her after a pause.

"Probably about as much as you do," Jia retorted.

"Do you know a Jedi named Mace Windu?"

"Yerp," Jia said, laying back. "Do you?"

"I want him dead," It Leader said. Jia craned her neck around to look at him and raised her eyebrows.

"Any particular reason?" she asked.

"He killed my father," It Leader answered.

"Ouch," Jia said, wincing a little and sucking her breath in through her teeth. "I would probably want him dead, too."

"You understand?" It Leader asked, sounding surprised.

"Sort of," Jia said, not wanting to delve into her life history. "But I can only say that if a Jedi killed him, he must have been a bad guy."

That sent It Leader over the edge. He jumped up and started pacing angrily. Now that his attention was off her, Jia quickly slid out her ear bud, turned it on, and put it back in her ear.

"He was only doing his job," he snapped. "Besides, I thought the Jedi made arrests, not kills."

"Yeah," Jia said nonchalantly, "I thought so, too."

"But that brings me back to you," It Leader said, stopping his pacing and coming to crouch down next to Jia. She rolled her head around to look at him, staring at him with a bored expression on her face.

"Does it now?" she asked.

"I have never known a Jedi not to carry their weapon with them at all times," It Leader started. Jia sighed and let her eyes wander as she listened to him make his way to the question. "And I have known very few Jedi to kill as easily as you did."

"The question," she snapped, impatient.

"Are you a Jedi?" It Leader asked her.

"If I am?" Jia asked.

"You help us with a few jobs, and then help us get to the Jedi that killed my father. And then we kill you," It Leader answered.

"If I'm not?" Jia asked him.

"You still help us, and maybe we won't kill you," It Leader said.

"So, if I am a Jedi, you'll kill me when I am no longer useful to you?" Jia asked, pushing herself up on her elbows and staring at him.

"Something like that," It Leader said with a smirk. Jia nodded slowly, keeping her gaze on him the entire time.

"What do you think I am?" she questioned.

"Someone who isn't a Jedi," It Leader answered her, unfazed by her unwavering stare.

"That doesn't answer my question," Jia told him. Amusement flashed across his face and he fell back onto his bum, sitting again.

"Judging by your skills and how easily you killed one of my, uhh, co-workers," he said, "I'm guessing you're a bounty hunter, like us."

Jia blinked once, making it look like he had surprised her with his guess. Might as well let him think what he wanted.

"Good guess," she said. It Leader stood up and walked to the door.

"So, are you going to help us?" he asked, pausing in the doorway. Jia thought for a long moment.

"No," she said finally. "I'm not going to help you."

* * *

Ahsoka sort-of-crashed, sort-of-landed on the planet and quickly found her Master and the clones.

"Where's Jia?" Anakin asked her as she jogged up to him.

"Gone, I'm betting," Ahsoka said with a sigh.

"What do you mean 'gone'?" Anakin asked sharply.

"Something intercepted us and she tricked me into leaving her there," Ahsoka explained. "But I do have her phone, and I bet if we went back up into space, we would find her ship."

"So let's get back up into space," Anakin almost-growled.

"Sir, how do you plan to do that?" Rex asked. "We can't get off planet until someone comes to get us."

"So let's ask someone to come get us," Anakin said. Ahsoka watched him walk off some ways and hung her head. If she hadn't fallen for Jia's trick, they probably would have been able to fight off whoever it was. She looked down at the phone in her hand, and gently touched the screen, like she had seen Jia do.

It lit up with a picture of the map, and Ahsoka stared at it for a moment before sliding her hand sideways across the screen, changing the image. The next thing that lit up the screen were schematics for half a ship. Ahsoka's eyes widened and she slid to the next page. It was something that had to do with audio. She hit a blue button and almost dropped the phone in surprise when she heard voices.

"So, are you going to help us?" she heard a male voice ask.

"No," she recognized Jia's voice. "I'm not going to help you."

Ahsoka stared at the phone in surprise, her blue eyes wide.

"Everything okay, Commander?" Rex asked her.

"I heard Jia's voice come from this thing," Ahsoka said, not knowing what else to say.

"She must have recorded some stuff on there," Rex told Ahsoka.

"No, there was another voice, too," Ahsoka said. "I think we can listen to her current conversations with this thing."

She became quiet when she heard Jia singing softly under her breath.

"_Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road._

_Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go._

_So make the best of this test and don't ask why._

_It's not a question, but a lesson learned it time._

_It's something unpredictable, but in the ends it's right;_

_I hope you have the time of your life._

_So take the photographs and still frames in your mind._

_Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time._

_Tattoos and memories and dead skin on trial._

_For what it's worth, it was worth all the while._

_It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right;_

_I hope you have the time of your life."_

There was a pause of silence and then Jia started singing again.

"_I don't know the rest of the words._

_La la la, do-de-le-do-de-le-do."_

Ahsoka laughed at her friend and Rex cracked a smile. He looked down at the phone and then back up at Ahsoka.

"So, what else does it do?" he asked when Jia became silent again. Ahsoka slid her finger across the screen again, and another map came up. There were multiple red dots on them, with letters above them.

"Argh," Ahsoka let out a growl of frustration. "These are written in one of her languages. We won't be able to understand it."

"We could guess," Rex suggested. "I mean, it looks like she's been tracking multiple different people, so if we type in the coordinates and see what's there, we could guess who it is she's tracking."

Ahsoka looked thoughtful for a moment, nodded, and slid her finger across the screen to the next image. It was different pictures. Ahsoka tapped on one and it came up. It showed a dark-skinned, teenage boy with dark brown eyes smiling and holding what looked like different pieces to a gun. Ahsoka recognized him as the boy "Red" from Jia's memories.

The next picture showed him with the assembled gun, pointing it at Jia. The next one showed a fair-skinned teenage boy that Ahsoka immediately recognized as "Eagle." He was standing at the entrance of some sort of aircraft with what Ahsoka could tell was a parachute on his back. The picture after that showed all three of them- Eagle, Red, and Jia- with Jia squashed in between the two boys. They were all making faces at the camera, and Ahsoka couldn't help but smile.

The next one wasn't a picture, but a video. She hit what she figured was the play button, holding it to her side a little bit so Rex could watch, also.

* * *

_Jia pointed her phone camera at Eagle who was balancing on the top of the chimney of the building they were on top of._

"_Ready?" she asked. He nodded once and she pointed her phone at Red._

"_You don't even have to ask," he said, grinning._

"_On my count of five," Eagle said._

_Jia jumped up onto the chimney with him and Red. She stood still as Eagle inspected her harness and cable, and then nodded._

"_Five, four, three-," Eagle started, but Jia jumped off the roof before he could finish._

"_Whooohooooo," she yelled her voice lost in the wind._

"_Hell," she heard Eagle say, and pointed her phone's camera up at him and Red as they jumped._

"_She's twenty pounds of crazy in a five pound bag," Red yelled,copying a line from a TV show. _

"_Wheeeeeeeeeehehe," Jia said, laughing at the end._

"_Damn it, Archangel," Eagle yelled to her. "Slow down. The whole point is to sneak up on them. And shut up with the 'whoohoo-ing' and the 'wheeee-ing'."_

"_Bossy much," Jia muttered. Eagle and Red didn't hear her, but the phone did. She slowed down and landed silently on the ground a few moments later. She pointed the phone camera back up towards Red and Eagle, filming their descent and landing._

"_Are you still recording us?" Eagle asked in annoyance. Jia nodded and he growled, but Red came up to her and high-fived her._

"_Yeah buddy," he said. "We could totally have our own reality TV show."_

"_I know, right?" Jia agreed with him._

"_Just shut up and turn that thing off," Eagle ordered._

"_Meh meh meh meh," Jia mocked him, but she did as he asked and turned off the camera._

* * *

Ahsoka glanced at Rex when the video was over and he looked at her.

"Who were those boys?" he asked.

"Her partners," Ahsoka answered promptly. "The team leader is Eagle, the one she called bossy. The other one was Red."

"Hmm," was all Rex said.

"Do you think we can use this to our advantage?" Ahsoka asked him.

"We have ears behind enemy lines," Rex said. Ahsoka could hear him smiling. "We can definitely use this."

"Great. I'll go tell Skyguy," she said, turning to go look for her Master. She came back a moment later with a triumphant look on her face. She nodded to Rex, silently telling him that her Master had agreed with them.

"Are there anymore pictures?" Rex asked curiously.

"Two more," Ahsoka said. She slid to the next picture and bit back a gasp. It was a picture of a girl around Jia's age, with curly hair and green eyes, a boy of about six or seven with straight, blond hair and blue eyes, and a boy who looked to be about one year older than Jia, also with blond hair. Ahsoka felt sadness well up inside her as she realized this must be the family Jia had been trying to protect by joining the assassin group.

At the last picture, Ahsoka did let out a gasp and dropped the phone. She backed up a couple feet and Rex looked at her curiously. Wanting to know what was causing his Commander to act so strangely he picked up the phone and turned it around so he could see the picture. He, too, was surprised at what he saw.

The picture was of two people dressed in what he could only assume was their uniform. In the background was desert and mountains and what looked like armored vehicles. The two people stood side-by-side, smiling. They each carried some sort of gun, Rex couldn't identify it, and had on the same equipment. They were wearing helmets, so Rex couldn't see who they were. As he studied the picture, though, some lettering at the bottom of the screen caught his attention.

"Ahsoka," he asked, turning to face her, "what does this say?"

"I don't know, but I can guess who's in the picture," Ahsoka said.

"Who?" Rex asked.

Ahsoka looked at him and said quietly, "It's her mom and dad."

* * *

Jia sighed as she stared up at the ceiling of the room she was in. The ceiling was as unexciting as the rest of the room. She rolled over onto her stomach and used her arms as a pillow. She let out a raspberry and groaned. If only she had her knife. Or her phone. Or even a fork. She could turn that into a weapon and throw it at the wall.

"Jacob," she whispered into her ear bud. "Jacob, you there?"

"Here and waiting," Jacob replied.

"Okay, so I'm in a bit of a situation," Jia started.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Jacob teased.

"Because you know me," Jia teased back. "Anyways, they took my comm so I need you to patch me through to Ahsoka. Or Rex. Or Anakin. Or anyone from the 501st."

"'Kay," Jacob said, and Jia could hear him moving around. "By the way, I really can't wait for you to get back. Maddison can't sleep anymore, so she's been showing up at my dorm in the middle of the night every night since you left."

"Oh, it can't be that bad," Jia said, trying not to laugh.

"It's not that she's a restless sleeper, it's that she wakes me up in the middle of the night," Jacob said. "Okay, and you're on."

"Ahsoka?" Jia asked.

"Jia?" Ahsoka cried in surprise.

"Yeah, it's me. You have my phone, don't you?" Jia questioned.

"Yup," Ahsoka answered.

"Okay, I need you to change the screens until you come to one that looks like the controls of my ship," Jia said.

There was a pause and then Ahsoka said, "Got it."

"Okay, now just use the controls like you would if you were in my ship. You should be able to land it near you," Jia told her. There was another pause.

"It actually worked," Ahsoka said, sounding surprised.

"Of course it did," Jia returned, sounding insulted.

"You hooked your ship up so you can fly it with your _phone_?" Ahsoka asked.

"Does that surprise you?" Jia shot back.

"Actually, now that I think about it, no," Ahsoka said.

"Okay, so once you get to my ship, place your palm on the screen of my phone and put the camera so it's facing the scanner," Jia ordered. "I had your fingerprints hard-coded into the scanner in case something like this happened. Once you're in, you should be able to track me using the GPS in my ear bud."

She heard someone approaching and turned to look at the door.

"Someone's coming," she whispered. "Bye."

She resumed her position of staring up at the ceiling and schooled her face into an appropriate look of boredom right before the door slid open.

"Who were you talking to?" It Leader asked.

"I wasn't talking to anyone," she said.

"We tracked you contacting someone," It Leader hissed. "How did you do it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jia lied, adding in a sigh for good measure.

"Stop lying," It Leader snapped. Jia remained silent. It Leader walked over to her and crouched down. He yanked her pants out of her boots and ran his hand along the cuffs.

"What are you doing?" Jia asked him. It Leader didn't answer and turned Jia's head roughly to the side. He looked in her ear, and then pulled out the ear bud.

"You weren't talking to anyone?" he asked, holding the ear bud in front of her face. She kept her face bored and her body relaxed, not showing any sign of surprise or panic.

"Nope," Jia said, shaking her head.

"You're a very good liar," It Leader said, smiling a little. "But it's not worth it. I know you're lying."

"Do you now?" Jia asked.

"We heard it. But we only heard the incoming transmissions," It Leader told her.

"Interesting," Jia said in a bored tone. It actually wasn't. She had taken the precaution of muting her outgoing transmissions to anyone who either hacked the line or listened in. That way she could warn whoever was talking to her without having to worry about unwanted ears listening. She sighed. "What do you want?"

It Leader placed the ear bud on the floor and stepped on it. Jia winced as she heard the feed-back. So much for Ahsoka tracking her.

"You. Are. Going. To. Help. Us," It Leader said slowly and deliberately.

"Then get me a computer," Jia said, narrowing her eyes at It Leader.

"What?" It Leader asked.

"A computer. You know, something with a screen and a keyboard and red and blue wires," Jia snapped. It Leader chuckled and stood up.

"Come on," he said walking to the door. Jia jumped up and followed him, eager to leave the boring room.

"I also want my knife back," she said as she walked next to It Leader.

"Nope," he said.

"Can I know your name?" she asked.

"Sure," he said, turning to look at her. "Boba Fett."

Jia tipped her head to the side and studied him through narrowed eyes.

"Anything else you want to tell me?" she asked him.

"Nope," he said, shaking his head.

"That's fine," Jia said, traces of a smirk forming on her face. "I'll be able to find out anyways."

"How?" Boba asked her. Jia's smirk transformed into a grin.

"Let's just say I'm a 'hacker extraordinaire.'"

"That could be useful," Boba said, leading her into the cockpit.

"You thought I was just some idiot who bashed in heads?" Jia asked, sounding scandalized.

"Well, you did try to kill me five minutes after you met me," Boba pointed out.

"It was self-defense," Jia said in a defensive tone. Boba just gave her the 'yeah, right' look. Jia sighed. "Just get me to a computer."

"This is all you got to work with," Boba said, gesturing to the cockpit.

"You are kidding," Jia said, choking on disbelief. "How in the hell can I work with this?"

"Figure it out," Boba said. Jia crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Be glad I don't have something to throw at you," she growled.

"Why?" Boba asked.

"Because I never miss my target," Jia said, sitting down and yanking a piece of plating off of the control panel.

"What are you doing?" Boba almost yelled.

"Figuring it out," Jia snapped, smacking his wrist when he reached down to replace the plate.

"You're destroying my ship," Boba snapped back. Jia threw the plate down onto the ground and stood up.

"Then you better get me a computer," she took a step forwards and slowly rose onto her tip toes as she said, "or I will tear this ship apart piece-by-piece to "figure it out." I promise that."

Boba sighed.

"Fine," he said, giving in. "I'll get you a computer."

Jia smiled and reached up to pat his head.

"Good boy."

* * *

"What was that?" Ahsoka asked when static and feed-back came out of phone speaker.

"I don't know," Jacob answered.

"Where's Jia?" Ahsoka asked, suspicious.

"I. Don't. Know. She's gone from the channel," Jacob said.

"Well, I got her last known location," Ahsoka said, trying to sound optimistic.

"Okay, where?" Jacob asked.

"Somewhere in the Outer Rim," Ahsoka told him. "Like, far in the Outer Rim."

"She was not kidding when she said she got herself into a situation," Jacob muttered under his breath.

"How are we going to get her out?" Ahsoka asked, moving to a different computer. She stared at the screen in confusion, trying to figure out what it was. Finally, she got it. It was flipping through schematics and blueprints of multiple different ships. "Whoa."

"What?" Jacob asked.

"She has everything," Ahsoka said. "Different people she can contact for weapons and ships, blueprints to every major building ever built on every planet in this galaxy, the newest technology for everything. She even has fingerprint and DNA scanners, and access to every digitalized identification program."

"That's great and all, but we need to find her," Jacob said, impatience giving an edge to his voice.

"Okay," Ahsoka said, sounding annoyed. "Since you're so impatient, how 'bout you come up with the plan to find her."

"Why don't we start looking where we know she was last," Jacob suggested. "We'll go on from there."

"Hold on," Ahsoka ordered. "What do you mean by 'we'? My Master will never let me leave."

"Are you not sitting in Jia's ship, which you just said had the newest technology in everything, and is also equipped with a cloaking device?" Jacob asked with a sigh. Ahsoka looked around and then down at the phone in her hand.

"Okay," she said, determination in her voice. "Let's do this. I'll be at the Temple to pick you up in a couple hours."

"What about Maddison?" Jacob asked.

"What about her?" Ahsoka retorted. "She's your cousin. Do something with her."

"And are we going to bring back-up or tell anyone where we're going?" Jacob questioned.

"You're the one in a Jedi Temple full of Padawan I'm sure are eager for an adventure," Ahsoka snapped.

"Point taken," Jacob said, chuckling a little.

"I can't say I'm excited to work with you," Ahsoka told him as she slipped into the cockpit an sat down in the pilot's chair.

"Ouch," Jacob said. "Any particular reason?"

"You're rude- sometimes, arrogant, aggressive- sometimes, you have an attitude, you find it fun to deny orders or sneak around," Ahsoka said. "Need I continue?"

"So basically," Jacob asked, "I'm the male version of you?"

"No- I meant- you're just," Ahsoka stuttered, not having a witty response to that.

"Uh-huh," Jacob said, and Ahsoka knew he was smirking. "Thought so."

* * *

Jia sat backwards in the chair, hanging her head over the edge of the seat.

"Are we there yet?" she asked. One of the Its shot her an annoyed glare and then grunted something that sounded like a no. She sighed and hung her arms over her head, touching the floor with them.

"Are we there now?" she asked a couple moments later.

"Do you see a planet?" the It snapped, finally losing his patience with her. Jia just smirked.

"Are we there yet?" she asked again in a whining tone.

"Be careful not to upset him," Boba said from the doorway, and Jia sat up and looked around the back of the seat to see him.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"He can be aggressive when he loses his temper," Boba said, coming to sit in the chair next to Jia.

"That's nice," she said. "But I can take care of myself. By the way, are we there yet?"

The It snapped. He jumped out of his chair and spun around. With a roar, he swung a clawed hand down towards Jia. She rolled backwards out of the chair and slid backwards in between his legs. She grabbed the piece of metal plating she had taken off earlier and hit the It in the back of the head with it. For a moment, she thought she had missed and he was just too furious to do anything. But then he fell forwards into the chair, unconscious.

Jia dropped the plate and turned to give Boba a smug smile.

"I told you I could take care of myself," she said with triumph. He just studied her through narrowed eyes. She sighed and hopped impatiently.

"Are we _there yet_?" she whined.

"You are probably the most impatient person I have ever met," Boba remarked.

"Thank you?" Jia half-said, half-asked. She yawned and stretched. "I'm gonna go do….. something."

"Don't break my ship," Boba said.

"Why?"Jia taunted. "Does it annoy you?"

"Sort of," Boba muttered.

"Then of course I won't," Jia said in a too-sweet voice.

"I mean it," Boba said.

"So do I," Jia told him, blinking innocently. She was given the 'yeah, right' look and tried not to laugh.

* * *

Boba walked silently into the room Jia was in. She had gone and started taking apart his ship. When he had found her she had simply smiled at him innocently. Now she was asleep on the cot. He slowly approached her and crouched down next to her. He was about to wake her up when her eyes flew open and she flashed out a hand, grabbing his ankle and knocking him onto the ground.

"What the hell?" he asked, pulling against her. She released him and rolled away from him.

"Don't do that," she said, trembling slightly.

"Do what?" he asked her.

"Try to sneak up on me when I'm sleeping," Jia said, breathing deeply to calm herself. "You're lucky you're not dead."

"How long did you know I was in here?" Boba asked, sounding as if he didn't really want to know the answer.

"Only when you crouched down," Jia said, starting to sit up. "Now why did you just scare the crap out of me?"

"I came to tell you I got the computer," Boba said, standing up. Jia jumped up and spun in a circle.

"Where?" she asked excitedly.

"In one of the larger closets. It's set up for you to use as an office," Boba called, watching Jia run out of the room. She came to the closet and walked inside. It was plain with only a desk and chair and the computer.

Jia walked over to the computer and studied it. She blew on it and dust flew into the air. She backed up, coughing, and turned to Boba.

"How old is this thing?" she asked. He shrugged and she let out a noise of aggravation. "I don't know if I'll even be able to turn this old thing on."

She sat down in the chair and felt along the edge of the computer until she came to what she assumed to be the power button. She pressed it and heard the machine start up. Other than that, nothing happened. She sighed and turned to Boba, when the computer screen lit up.

Jia turned around and smiled. She placed her hands on the keyboard and lightly tapped the keys. Living in the galaxy for a couple months, she had finally managed to teach herself the written language of their English. _Or Basic,_ Jia thought. _Guess it wouldn't be called English here because there's no England. _

"Can you do anything with it?" Boba asked. Jia ignored him, already running background checks on everyone else on the ship. Suddenly, she froze and half-turned around in the chair. Her eyes darted from the computer screen to Boba. He became suspicious. "What?"

"That's why you look so familiar," Jia said, staring at him. "You're a clone."

"You didn't know that?" Boba asked. But Jia didn't answer. Her eyes had darkened and her muscles had tensed. Boba took a step back, well-aware something was wrong. "What is it?" he asked.

Jia didn't answer that either. Instead she leapt, tackling Boba to the ground and pinning him there.

"Just you and me," she hissed, placing her hands around his neck. "None of your bounty hunters here to help you."

"What the-?" Boba started to ask, but Jia tightened her grip, restricting his air flow and forcing him to be quiet. Jia kept one hand around his neck and then dragged him into an empty room.


	23. Good Guy, Bad Guy

**Good Guy, Bad Guy**

"What are you doing?" Boba asked when Jia locked the door behind her.

"I warned you," she said in a low voice, "that I would find out everything about you."

"So?" Boba asked, pushing himself up into a sitting position. Jia leapt at him again, forcing him back onto the ground.

"What was it?" she asked. "Army life get boring? Following the rules became too hard? You wanted money?"

"What are you talking about?" Boba snapped.

"Before you say anything else," Jia said in a warning tone, "know that I don't take kindly to deserters."

"I didn't leave the GAR, if that's what you're asking," Boba told her. "I was never in it. When the Kaminoans paid my father, he asked for an unaltered clone to raise as a son. That's me."

Jia glared at him through narrowed eyes, taking in his every muscle twitch. After several long minutes she let him up.

"Okay," she said in a bright voice.

"You could've just asked," Boba said, sitting up and rolling his neck, stretching out the muscles.

"Well, it's been a while since I interrogated someone. Besides, now I have your mutual respect," Jia said. He just rolled his eyes at her and walked out of the room.

* * *

It had been two days since Jia was taken hostage, and she decided it wasn't as bad as it could be. Compared to her past experiences, at least. The only other name she had learned was of the female It: Shirya. The rest were male and refused to tell her anything about them. That didn't bother her because she knew their names, but she wasn't going to use them if they wouldn't tell her. Instead she gave them each a letter from the alphabet that she called them by: Q, R, S, and U.

She had skipped T out of respect for Swirl's brother. That was his name, and no one else got it.

"Hey, Q, you gonna tell me what the mission is?" she asked him. Q turned to her and glowered at her. She sighed and added, "Please?"

"We're going to try to acquire some weapons from an arms dealer without paying for them," Shirya said, walking into the room.

"In other words: steal the weapons," Jia returned. Shirya smiled and nodded. Jia had found out that Shirya was only one year older than her, and the two girls had become friends.

"Did you have to tell her?" Q grumbled.

"Stuff it, Q," Jia snapped. Much as she didn't like it, being part of a team again- a team that operated outside the laws, no less- made Jia feel more like she belonged than when she had been at the Jedi Temple or on the _Resolute_. She knew technically it was treason, but she technically hadn't sworn her allegiance to the Republic. _Technically_ she was allowed to join the bounty hunters without suffering consequences. But she knew her friends wouldn't see it like that.

"So how many missions is Boss keeping you with us for?" Shirya asked, plopping down in a chair.

"I don't know," Jia said. "I'm guessing either until I escape, I kill him, or he kills me."

"That's a comforting thought for someone to have," Shirya said.

"Ahhh, it's not danger," Jia said, humor twinkling in her eyes. "It's fun."

"Glad you think so," Boba said, joining them in the cockpit.

"Sooooooo, Boss," Jia said, drawing out the word, "when do we leave?"

"We need to get good comm systems first, along with whatever technology you would need," Boba said.

"_I_ would need?" Jia scoffed. "I am not staying at the "base camp." My specialty is in the field. That is one reason Wolffe let me join his group." Her voice was rising indignantly. "I'm betting that's one reason you haven't killed me yet!"

"We don't know how good we are, or if we can trust you," Q pointed out.

"Oh, Boss should know he can trust me," Jia said, rolling her head around to look at Boba, smirking at him. "I did after all have the chance to kill him, and did not."

"Is that true, Boss?" Shirya asked, also turning her head to look at Boba.

"She's exaggerating a bit," Boba said smoothly. Jia narrowed her eyes at him and snorted in disbelief. She grabbed Shirya's bag of cheap cookies and popped one into her mouth.

"Not bad," she said, looking at the label. "SugarySweets. Hmmm. I might buy some sometime."

"Give me that," Shirya said, snatching the bag of cookies back.

"Rude much," Jia muttered. Shirya rolled her eyes.

"Are you two done?" Boba asked with a sigh, watching them. They both just turned to look at him. "Back to my question: what do you need to work base?"

"Ear buds, a lap top, entrance into a galactic-wide facial scanner, a more recent desktop computer, and a printer," Jia said, ticking the items off on her fingers.

"So much?" Shirya asked with a mouthful.

"If you want me to be able to run a decent base camp, yeah," Jia answered. Shirya rolled her eyes, but then smiled.

"Which means I get to go field."

"What?" Jia asked.

"Boss usually has me here to run base," Shirya explained. Jia's eyes widened and then narrowed, her face melding into a glower.

"Not cool," she muttered. Shirya laughed and tossed the empty bag of cookies at Jia, who caught it and crumpled it up in anger.

* * *

_Two days earlier…._

Jacob looked around at the group of Padawan who were gathered around him. They were in a large storage closet, with all lights off. The only light came from his lightsaber; the orange blade casting an eerie glow on the faces of everyone. Maddison sat on a box behind him, watching everything with big, curious eyes.

"Before I say anything else, everyone who is going to take part in this is going to do so voluntarily. We will most likely be punished for doing this; severely punished," he said.

The purple Nautolan that Jia had sparred against during her first two weeks at the Temple was in the front of the group. She watched Jacob carefully, waiting impatiently for him to continue.

"Anyone who wants to leave now, can. Otherwise, I'll think you're going to take part in this," Jacob said. He paused, watching as a couple of the Padawan gathered in front of him slipped out of the group and exited the storage closet.

"Okay, so here's the deal," he started. "A friend of mine has been taken hostage by a group of bounty hunters, and we are going to go rescue her."

"Who is it?" Purple asked.

"What's your name?" Jacob asked, ignoring her question.

"Nevaeh," she answered. "Now answer my question."

Jacob studied her for a few moments and then answered, "Jia."

"The assassin?" someone from the back of the group asked.

"The assassin," Jacob repeated, confirming the answer. There was a long moment of silence, and then Nevaeh smiled.

"Danger, cluelessness, adventure; I'm in," she said.

"Me too," a soft, quiet voice said from the edges of the group. All eyes turned to Barriss Offee.

"You're actually breaking the rules?" Jacob asked in shock.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Barriss shot back.

"Nevaeh, Barriss, anymore takers?" Jacob asked the group.

"I'll go," a boy named Adrik said, taking a step forwards.

"I want to go, too," Maddison said, turning pleading eyes on her older cousin.

"Now that would get us in even more trouble," Nevaeh said. "If we take a youngling with us."

"Please," Maddison begged.

"Jia's gonna kill me," Jacob groaned quietly, letting his head fall back. He straightened back up and turned to look at Maddison. "Fine. But you stay on the ship."

Maddison clapped excitedly and smiled.

"Anyone else?" Jacob asked, raising his voice so everyone could hear. Looks passed between the group, but no one answered.

"Okay," Jacob said. "All of you who are staying keep the code of silence. If anyone questions you on where we've gone, you say you don't know. Am I clear?"

There was a muttered "yes" from the group. Jacob nodded once and turned to Maddison. He crouched down so he could speak directly in her ear.

"You listen to everything I say, and do everything you are told to do, even if you don't want to, or I will personally bring you back here and lock you in your room until we return," Jacob said in a low voice. Maddison glowered up at him with narrowed eyes and Jacob almost laughed at how much she looked like Jia.

"Fine," she muttered mutinously. Jacob smiled and stood up.

"Let's go," he said, leading them out to where Ahsoka had landed Jia's ship in the hangar.

"Hey," she said, greeting them as they entered the hanger. She quickly scanned the group, her eyes widening in shock when she saw Barriss and Maddison.

"That ship better be as amazing as you said it was," Jacob said as he approached her. Ahsoka just made a face at him and led them up the ramp. She placed her hand on the scanner, watching as a blue laser scanned her fingerprints and counted her pulse. Then the door slid open and they all stepped into the small ship.

* * *

Jia blinked in the bright sunlight as she stepped out of the ship and onto the sandy ground of the planet.

"I've been here before," she exclaimed as she recognized the planet.

"So has pretty much all of us," Shirya said.

"Nevermind," Jia grumbled. "What are we doing here?"

"Getting equipment for the job," R said as he climbed out of the ship.

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Jia said excitedly. "I have contacts here who can get us whatever we want."

"Really?" Shirya asked, popping one of her SugarySweets cookies into her mouth.

"Yeah, come on; this way," Jia said, setting fast pace and leading them to a cantina.

"She's crazy," U muttered under his breath, followed by inarticulate grumbles of agreement from everyone except Shirya. Jia paused outside the cantina and turned to Boba.

"A gun would be nice," she said, holding out her hand. He eyed her suspiciously, and she sighed. "I'm not going to do anything. Except maybe shoot at some people."

Shirya snorted with laughter, but quickly muffled it with another cookie when Boba shot her an annoyed look.

"Fine," he said finally. He grabbed his back-up with an annoyed noise in the back of his throat, loaded and readied it, and handed it to Jia. She smiled and then double-checked it to make sure he hadn't set it to back-fire on her or wired it to explode when she fired it. She guessed he would love nothing more than to kill her and have it look like an accident.

"Okay," she said after a few minutes. "Let's go."

She lead them into the cantina, sauntering up to the bar and sliding into one of the seats. Shirya started to go join her, but Boba stopped her. He could tell that everything Jia was doing was a cover; an act. And he didn't think she would take too kindly to one of them screwing it up.

"May I help you," the bartender asked without really turning around.

"Sergei," Jia said in a disappointed voice, "I am shocked you don't remember me."

Sergei turned around and looked at Jia with eyes wide with shock.

"Destiny," he gasped in surprise, "I didn't realize it was you. I am so sorry. I'm assuming you want your usual?"

A look passed between the bartender and Jia that Boba didn't understand and she threw some credits onto the counter.

"Double the shot, please," she said.

"Yes, yes, of course," Sergei stuttered out. He turned around and busied himself with getting her drink. Boba was going to go up to her and ask what was going on when Sergei turned back around, his eyes darting around nervously as he handed the glass to Jia.

As he handed her the glass, his hand brushed past hers, sliding a key and folded up piece of paper to her. She took a long, slow sip of the alcohol; at least that's what Boba assumed it was. He watched her carefully trying to figure out what was going on.

Jia slid the key and paper into her pocket, and took another slow sip of the drink. Sergei, who was watching her out of the corner of his eye, gave a faint nod. He disappeared into a back room and reappeared a moment later with a small bag clutched tightly in his hands.

He slid it across the counter to Jia and she caught it in her hand and gave a quick nod of thanks. She took another sip, this one quicker than the other two, and then stood up.

"Good to see you, Sergei," she said, making a fist around the bag, concealing it.

"Yes," Sergei agreed. "Please come back soon, Destiny, dear."

Another look passed between them and then Jia turned and walked back to where everyone else was watching curiously.

"Ready?" she asked them.

"What was that all about?" Shirya asked. Jia didn't answer, instead she pushed open the door, leading them back out into the bright sunlight.

"Now where are we going?" Q hissed.

"To get some supplies," Jia answered like it was obvious.

"Seriously, what was all that about with the bartender?" Shirya asked, keeping pace beside Jia. "Are you guys, like, together or something? Or is he in your debt?" Then she gasped her eyes widened. "You've blackmailed him, haven't you?"

Jia remained silent, not sure whether to be amused or annoyed with Shirya's flow of questions. She led them to another cantina, but instead of going up to the counter, she stayed along the wall, keeping to the shadows, until she came to a little slit in the wall. Looking around to make sure no one was paying attention, she slid the key into the slit and then typed in the security code that was written on the tiny piece of paper.

There was a quiet hissing sound, and then a part of the wall popped outward from the wall.

"What in the hell?" Shirya asked through a mouthful of cookie.

"In, now," Jia ordered, keeping watch to make sure no one else saw. One-by-one, the bounty hunters filed into the room, Jia entering last. She pulled the door shut with a clang that echoed around the room they were now in. She reached up and flipped on the lights.

They all stared in shock at what they saw. Rows and rows of guns, knives, swords, whips, grappling boas, sniper rifles; almost every weapon was to the right of them. To the left was machinery. Cloaking devices, computers, tracking devices, homing beacons; everything needed to pull off a covert operation.

"Sergei is an arms dealer," Jia explained as she led them through the machinery. "I met him the first time I was here. Very helpful. Even kept my identity from the authorities when they came here after I killed the two rapists on Coruscant."

"That was you?" R asked in surprise.

"Does that surprise you?" Jia retorted. She turned in a circle, her arms out wide. "Everything we could possibly need is in here. He even has ships in the back room."

"You weren't kidding when you said you had contacts," Shirya said, leaning down and studying one of the handheld computers. It reminded Jia of a PDA.

"That is a scanner. It'll scan every ship and room within a mile of its location to see if there are any bugs, tracking devices, or homing beacons," Jia said, noticing what she was looking at.

"Boss, can we get this?" Shirya asked.

"What's the trick?" Boba asked.

"What trick?" Jia retorted.

"How much is any one of these going to cost us?" Boba elaborated.

"Nothing," Jia said. "All I have to do is file him some credits over the computer and we are golden."

"Whose money is it?" S asked, suspicious.

"I don't know," Jia said with a shrug. "Usually I take from other weapon dealers or super upper rich people who have nothing to do with their money."

"You're worse than us," Shirya said, something that sounded like awe creeping into her voice.

"You're right, I am," Jia agreed.

* * *

Maddison dug around in the drawer in Jia's bedside table. For someone who could memorize every single detail of a person's face, she was very disorganized. Her hand brushed over soft leather, and Maddison pulled it out. It was a notebook, the back and front cover made of leather and a colorful pieces of string woven together holding the book together.

"Found something," she called, turning to find Jacob. They were scouring Jia's ship, hoping to find some clue as to where she could possibly be.

"What is it?" Jacob and Ahsoka asked at the same time. They glanced at each other briefly and then turned back to Maddison.

"A notebook," Maddison said, sitting down on the edge of Jia's bed and opening to the first page.

"What's in it?" Barriss asked, also coming to look at the notebook.

"Just a bunch of pictures," Maddison said, flipping through the book. She tossed it aside. "Nothing useful."

"Maybe not for the search, but we could find something out about Jia," Adrik suggested, poking his head out of the cockpit. Jacob reached over and grabbed the notebook off the bed and opened it to a random page. The picture showed a curly-haired girl who looked to be about Jia's age. She was wearing a crazy hat sideways on her head and laughing. Around her floated what Ahsoka identified as bubbles. Something was written at the top of the page, but no one could read it.

"What's it say," Jacob asked, almost-shoving the book at Ahsoka.

"I don't know," she said indignantly; then her eyes lit up. "But I saw what I thought was some translation program on one of the computers. We could let it scan this and see what comes up."

"I got it," Barriss said, taking the book from Ahsoka and walking into the computer room. Jacob and Ahsoka were having a staring contest while they waited for Barriss to finish scanning the book and Maddison was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. They all started when Jia's comlink gave off a shrill whistle.

Ahsoka was the first to react. She grabbed the comlink and turned it on.

"Jia, thank goodness," an unfamiliar, female voice said.

"Who is this?" Jacob asked.

"Lylla," Maddison exclaimed at the same time her cousin spoke.

"Maddison," Lylla sounded surprised.

"Why are you calling?" Maddison asked.

"Something's wrong," Lylla sounded upset now. "Remember how Jia told you she had done some things and she was wanted by the authorities?"

"Yeah," Maddison answered.

"Well, they came by to question me. They've figured out she made me an alias. They've put a bounty out for her capture," Lylla explained.

"Hell," Jacob muttered under his breath.

"This is _not good_," Ahsoka added. Jia was with a group of bounty hunters. If they decided they wanted the money, it would be very easy for them to kill her and then turn her in.

"Wait," Lylla said. "Where is Jia?"

"Kidnapped," Maddison said.

"Oh no," Lylla groaned. "Who's with you?"

"My older cousin and some other Jedi," Maddison answered.

"Okay, well, I'll keep you guys posted," Lylla said, cutting the connection.

"Can't she stay out of trouble for once?" Jacob asked.

"We are talking about the same Jia, right?" Ahsoka shot back.

"I have the translation," Barriss called from the computer room. Ahsoka shoved Jacob out of the way and beat him into the computer room.

"What does it say?" she asked.

"'Bubbles, hats, and laughter—the perfect cure for heartbreak'," Barriss read. She looked up at Ahsoka and Jacob. "Does it mean anything to you?"

"This must have been before her siblings were killed," Jacob said thoughtfully, studying the curly-haired girl. She looked so much like Jia it was hard to believe they weren't from the same family. She also looked a lot like Maddison, which surprised him.

"What are other translations?" Ahsoka asked Barriss.

"There's this one," Barriss said, turning to another page. This one was only words, written in a fancy, block-font.

"What does it say?" Maddison asked, standing on tiptoes so she could see. Barriss smiled a little.

"'If you're not willing to stand beside our troops, than, by God, you better be willing to stand in front of them."

* * *

The clang of the door closing made everyone freeze and look up.

"No one else is supposed to be in here," Jia hissed. She drew the gun and held it by her side, creeping to the door to shut off the lights. A couple seconds later, the room went black. No light seeped through the wall or under the door, blinding everyone.

But Jia felt perfectly at home. The shadows were her specialty. She knew how to dance with them. She could melt into them; become part of them. And that was when she became deadly. When she fell back to the shadows, her mind switched over to match her surroundings.

She made her way back to where everyone else was gathered, now all with their weapons drawn.

"Know who it is?" R breathed. Jia didn't answer. She held the gun in both hands, ready to fire on a seconds notice. She tipped her head to the side, listening for anything that would give anything away about their visitor. When nothing happened, she started leading them to the back room. They were almost there when it happened.

Because she had her "assassin-radars" on high alert, she sensed it first.

"Drop," she yelled, throwing herself onto the ground and rolling behind some boxes to use as cover. A laser penetrated the wall right behind where her head had been a second before. Jia got into a low crouch and fired back, grinding her teeth when she felt the kick-back of the gun. Her gun didn't do that. Her gun was smooth and silent; as deadly as she was. She'd just have to get a new one.

"Damn it," Jia heard Shirya curse, but she ignored her and moved forward because she had just heard a sharp intake of breath. She guessed one of her shots had it their mark. Suddenly someone jumped on her from behind. She fell onto the floor, the gun sliding several feet away.

She felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed the back of her neck and she grimaced. People shooting at point blank always made things so much more difficult.

"Get up," a voice hissed in her ear.

"Easy," Jia said as she pushed herself up from the ground and onto her knees. Her attacker had a tiny red light on his gun and Jia used the light from it to study her opponent.

"Turn around and walk to the door," he said.

"No," Jia said, mutiny written all over her face.

"What?" the man asked in disbelief.

"I said no," Jia repeated. She was buying time. She could see S sneaking up behind the man and could hear everyone surrounding him. They walked fairly loudly for people who were trying to sneak up on someone else.

"You bitch," the man growled, but before he could squeeze of another shot, Jia kicked the gun out of his hand and then kicked him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. She grabbed his gun off the floor and put it to his chest.

"Don't shoot, please," the man begged. Jia wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Coward," she snarled.

"No one is going to shoot anyone," Boba said, coming out from the shadows.

"I don't know," Jia said, pressing the gun harder against the man. "He called me a bitch."

"I'm sorry, miss," the man stuttered out.

"_Miss?_" Jia asked, raising her eyebrows. The lights suddenly came back on and Jia suspected that Shirya had probably turned them back on because she wasn't part of the circle that approached Jia and the man.

"Easy, Blondie," Boba said. He didn't know her real name, so he said the first thing that came to mind. He approached the two with his gun at ready. When Jia didn't move he sighed. "At least shoot him or something."

"You just said no one was going to get shot, but okay," Jia said. She moved the gun to in the center of the man's forehead. He barely had time to register what she was going to do before she pulled the trigger, killing him. Everyone froze. And then Boba yanked the gun out of Jia's hand and roughly pulled her up from the ground.

"We're leaving. Now," he hissed through clenched teeth, dragging Jia toward the entrance with the rest following.

"What happened?" Shirya asked, jogging to keep up.

"Jia just killed that man," Q muttered.

"She did what?" Shirya gasped.

"Why are you so surprised?" Jia snapped. "You guys are the ones that are the bounty hunters."

"So are you," S retorted.

"No, I'm not!" Jia almost-yelled.

"We are not having this conversation until we get back onto the ship," Boba growled picking up speed, Jia stumbling to keep up.

"You're cutting off my blood circulation," she muttered.

"Suck it up," Boba snapped. He dragged her into the ship and practically threw her into the copilot's chair. "What the hell?"

"You're the one that told me to shoot him," Jia said, her eyes flashing with anger.

"I said shoot him, not kill him," Boba yelled.

"I warned you when you gave me the gun that I might shoot someone," Jia snapped, starting to get up.

"Sit down," Boba growled, shoving her back down into the chair. She sat there for a moment, winded and trying to catch her breath. Staring up into his smoldering, amber eyes, Jia realized she may have finally met her match.

* * *

"There's absolutely nothing here," Ahsoka exclaimed staring at the emptiness of the blackness of space.

"What did you expect to find?" Jacob scoffed. "Bodies floating around?"

"Well, that sounds like something Jia would do," Ahsoka shot back.

"She's not like that anymore," Maddison said quietly from where she was standing one on of the chair's staring out the window.

"Oh, she is," Jacob said. "Trust me. She just isn't like that around us because we're not the bad guys."

"What's that mean?" Barriss asked.

"Jia became an assassin of the bad guys," Ahsoka explained, cutting Jacob off before he could get a word out. "She hunted down and killed terrorists."

"A good assassin?" Adrik muttered from where he stood, flipping through the pages of Jia's notebook. "That's something new."

"So is Barriss breaking the rules," Jacob pointed out.

"I don't know whether to be offended or complemented," Barriss said, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"It's Jacob who said it," Ahsoka said, looking at her friend with all seriousness. "Be offended."

"Hey!" Jacob snapped. "I'm right here."

"Sadly," Ahsoka retorted.

"Shut up," Adrik cut in. Ahsoka shot one last glare at Jacob and then retreated into the computer room. She was curious as to who Jia had been tracking on her phone. She opened Jia's laptop and plugged the phone into a cord. The screen turned blue and Ahsoka panicked, thinking she had done something wrong, and then it started downloading something.

A map of the galaxy popped up, the red dots appearing with it.

"I wonder if I could get this through the translation program," Ahsoka muttered thoughtfully. She clicked on what she guessed was some sort of translation program, and started when a voice came out of the computer.

"Master Jia, what language would you like to translate to?" the computer asked in a feminine, mechanical voice.

"Ummmm, Basic," Ahsoka said, hoping Jia had added Basic into the settings.

"You are not Master Jia," the computer said. "Identify."

"Ahsoka Tano," Ahsoka said, crossing her fingers. Jia had said she had hard-coded her fingerprints into the scanner, maybe she had done something to allow her access to all the files on the laptop.

"Ahsoka Tano," the computer repeated. There was a pause and a whirring sound, and then the voice spoke again, "Jedi Padawan-learner Commander Ahsoka Tano of Anakin Skywalker and the 501st. Species: Togrutan. Age: approximately seventeen. Homeworld: Shilli. Native language: Togruti-"

"That's me," Ahsoka said, cutting off the computer.

"Voice recognized. Initiating translation software. Translation complete in the next three minutes," the computer said.

"I need access to all her files," Ahsoka said to the computer.

"Request denied," the computer told her. "Passcode needed."

Ahsoka felt like hitting the computer, but then realized how angry Jia would be.

"Translation complete," the computer said after two and a half minutes. Ahsoka looked at the different names, quietly saying them out loud.

"Sergei Wran. Solai Nerana. Breena Shogin. Crag Writ."

"Ahsoka, what are you doing?" Adrik asked, coming into the room. Ahsoka ignored him and continued to read the names.

"Recognize any of these?" she asked, leaning back so Adrik could read.

"Yeah," he said after a minute. "Crag Writ is a wanted technician specialist moonlighting as a hit man. The rest I don't know."

"Hit man?" Ahsoka repeated.

"Yeah," Adrik said again. Ahsoka's brow furrowed in confusion and she turned back to Jia's laptop.

"Computer, I need background checks on these names," Ahsoka said.

"Request denied," the computer said again. "Passcode needed."

Ahsoka groaned and gave up.

"Stupid technician moonlighting as a hit man," she muttered.

"Maybe Jacob would know," Adrik suggested. Ahsoka stared at him for a moment, and then shrugged.

"Jacob," she called.

"Passcode accepted," the computer said, making both Adrik and Ahsoka jump.

"What?" Jacob yelled back.

"Nevermind," Adrik and Ahsoka said at the same time.

"Background checks initiating," the computer continued. More whirring was heard, and then another machine started to make noise. Ahsoka stared at it for a moment and then realized it was a printer.

"Can you get those?" she asked Adrik. He nodded and returned moments later with a handful of papers.

"Sergei Wran is an arms dealer on Tatooine," Adrik said to Ahsoka as he quickly read through the bios of all the names. "Solai Nerana sells weapon accessories. She is based in the Abla- Ablaj- Abla; I'm not even going to try and pronounce that."

"Ablajeck sector," Ahsoka finished for him.

"Yeah, that," Adrik said, looking up briefly. "Breen Shogin: black market dealer. Oh this is interesting: he worked briefly under Hondo Onaka. Name sound familiar?"

"He led me and Master Koon into a trap," Ahsoka muttered. "Of course, he told us it was a trap so we would no he had no involvement in it."

"And Crag Writ. Technician turned hit man. Has access to just about every black market in the galaxy. I can see why Jia chose him as a contact," Adrik commented. He continued to read, cringing at some of the things.

"What?" Ahsoka asked, feeling the slight shift through the Force.

"Man, after reading these bios, I don't think I'm ever going to sleep again," Adrik muttered. Ahsoka snorted with laughter.

"Computer, I need access to all of Jia's files," she tried again.

"Request denied. Passcode needed," the computer said again.

"Jacob?" Ahsoka asked hopefully. The computer screen blinked red.

"Three more attempts before automatic shut down," the computer said.

"Ummmmmmm, Red," Ahsoka guessed. The screen blinked red again. "Eagle?"

"Try," Jacob said coming into the room. He leaned down next to Ahsoka, "Mark Dylan Latimer."

"Passcode accepted," the computer said. Adrik, Ahsoka, and Jacob all gawked at what they saw.

"Oh my," Ahsoka trailed off, not being able to finish.

"You weren't kidding when you said she had everything," Jacob muttered darkly.

"Are you sure she's on our side?" Adrik asked, looking at Jacob and Ahsoka. On the laptop screen was security codes, ship and building schematics, and attack plans for the Separatists.

* * *

"We couldn't get any of the weapons, and now we have a dead person tied to us," Q snapped. "And it's your fault."

"You shouldn't have given me a gun," Jia retorted, starting to get up again.

"I said sit," Boba snarled, pushing her into the chair again, much rougher this time. Jia sat there for a few moments, trying to catch her breath and comprehend what was happening. She knew the only reason she hadn't attacked Boba yet was that the whole sense of power in the group was directed towards him. If she attacked him, everyone else would turn on her.

"Did you seriously kill him?" Shirya asked.

"Yes, she did," Boba said in a dark voice.

"What are you gonna do? Punish me?" Jia taunted. She knew she was pushing the limits, but she couldn't help it. Beyond furious now, Boba yanked Jia out of the chair and threw her up against the wall. Even Jia was shocked.

"You watch yourself, Blondie," Boba said in a low voice. "It would be very easy for me to kill you the way you just killed that man."

"Do it," Jia said, copying his tone. "I dare you."

When Boba didn't do anything she smirked.

"Thought so."

She started to say something else, but was cut off by being hit in the side of the head with the barrel of a gun. Stars floated in her vision and pain exploded in her head.

"You ever do something like that again, there will be hell to pay," Boba growled.

"I think there already was," Jia managed to get out through her clenched teeth despite the pain.

"Boss, I think she's learned," Shirya said quickly when Boba positioned the gun to strike her again.

"Really? 'Cause I don't," Boba hissed. Jia blinked the stars away in time to duck under the gun. She pushed Boba roughly away from her. After a brief struggle, Jia ended up on the ground with her knife being held up against her throat.

"Gonna kill me?" Jia gasped out breathlessly. "Gonna use my own weapon against me?"

"Not gonna kill you," Boba said, moving the knife to her forehead. "Just gonna teach you a lesson."

He applied very little pressure, hard enough to make her bleed and cause her some pain, but not enough to seriously hurt her. Jia didn't flinch, didn't even blink, keeping eye contact with him the whole time.

Boba removed the blade from her skin and got up. Jia brought one hand up to her forehead and her fingers came away red. The pain had been very minimal compared to ther other times she had had a knife come into contact with her flesh, but she got the message.

"Okay," she said, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "Lesson learned."

"So where did you learn to kill like that anyways?" Shirya asked.

"Any idiot knows you can kill a person by firing into their head," Jia said with a snort.

"But you did it so effortlessly," R pointed out.

"Yeah, it was almost scary," Shirya added. Jia just shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs. She could feel the blood flowing slowly down her face, but didn't bother to do anything about it. She would wash the blood off later. The cut would heal on its own. It would probably scar, but one more scar wouldn't make any difference.

"He was a bad guy," Jia said quietly after a couple minutes. Q, S, U, and Shirya, who were the only ones left in the cockpit, turned to look at her.

"And?" Shirya prompted through another cookie.

"I was trained to kill the bad guys," Jia told her. She turned a teasing smirk to her new friend. "So you better watch out."

* * *

_The newest installment. A darker side of Jia is shown in this chapter. I had fun writing the little squabbles between Ahsoka and Jacob; it was a lot like me and my older cousin, actually. Anyways, please tell me how you think it is. _


	24. The Team

**The Team**

Jia shifted restlessly in her sleep. Ever since she had killed the man in Sergei's warehouse, her nights had been filled with nightmares and bad memories. It wasn't her fault; she had simply been doing what she had been told. And in her mind, shoot equaled kill.

Everyone had been keeping a close eye on her for the past few weeks. Making sure she didn't kill anyone else, she guessed. Used to the freedom that Wolffe had allowed her, and the blind eye Eagle had turned to some of the things she did, suddenly being on a short leash was hard.

Jia jolted awake, reaching for her knife before she remembered it had been taken. She groaned and fell back onto the cot.

"What's wrong?" Shirya asked groggily, rolling over to look at Jia.

"I want my knife," Jia said after a moment.

"Not happening," Boba muttered sleepily.

"I want my knife," Jia repeated more firmly.

"I'll give you a gun when I wake up," Boba said, shifting a little to get more comfortable.

"You are awake," Jia pointed out. Something inarticulate was muttered and then silence. Jia snorted. "A gun. You take my knife, you give me a gun."

"Get over it," Shirya murmured, before rolling back over and falling back asleep.

"Get over it," Jia mocked with a huff. Then she smiled. Those words were familiar to her ears. She had been told many times before by Red and Eagle to "get over it."

* * *

_Jia pressed down hard on the gas pedal, the momentum forcing her, Red, and Eagle back against their seats._

"_Wolffe's gonna kill you," Red said, looking at Jia. They had just found out Jia had breached the code of silence by telling Cody where she kept disappearing to._

"_It's not-," Jia started._

"_I'm gonna kill you," Eagle snarled, cutting Jia off._

"_No one's gonna be killing Archangel," Red said with a sigh. Then he turned to look at Jia. "But seriously, Wolffe's gonna kill you."_

"_No he's not," Jia retorted._

"_Archangel, if he doesn't, I swear it on God, I will-," Eagle started to say._

"_Quit with the whining," Jia snapped, pressing the gas pedal to the floor._

"_Damn you, Archangel," Eagle yelled as he was forced back against the seat again. "Who taught you to drive?"_

"_No one has yet," Jia said calmly as she turned the car so sharply it was balancing on two wheels._

"_You're going to kill us," Red gulped._

"_You'll be fine," Jia said, laughing a little in exuberance._

"_If we don't die, I'm teaching you how to drive," Eagle muttered._

"_I thought you were going to kill me," Jia shot at him._

"_I'll kill you afterwards," Eagle snapped. Jia just laughed at him and turned the car again. _

"_I think I'm gonna be sick," Red groaned. Jia smiled at him._

"_You are never driving again," Eagle added._

"_Oh, come on," Jia whined._

"_Get over it," Eagle and Red said at the same time. Jia just made a face at them and pressed harder on the gas._

* * *

Jia laughed softly at the memory. Eagle and Red never actually did sell her out to Wolffe. They kept silent, lying to him to protect her. She sighed and rolled over onto her side, staring at the wall. She remembered how Eagle had held her after Cody had been killed, letting her cry without saying a word. And then he never told anyone; not even Red.

Jia felt guilty now for not telling her closest assassin friend, but weakness was not something that was appreciated. That's why she refused to cry and refused to apologize. And refused to openly love. Jacob, Maddison, and Lylla had managed to worm their ways into her heart

She sighed. Love was dangerous. Love was a weakness that could be used against someone. Love was not something she was used to anymore. Jia sighed again and rolled onto her stomach.

"Lay still," R growled softly from where he was. Jia didn't even bother to glare at him.

* * *

"_Archangel," Eagle called after her. "Archangel, come on."_

"_No," she called as she ran. "I'm not going back in there."_

"_Wolffe needs to brief us on our next mission," Eagle shouted. He sighed when she didn't turn back around and took off after her. "Hell." _

_He finally caught up to her and tackled her to the ground._

"_Let me go," she yelled, squirming and twisting, trying to get out of his grasp; but Eagle had been working with her long enough to know how to keep a hold on her._

"_Archangel, come on, talk to me," he pleaded quietly to her._

"_Let me go," she said repeated, much weaker this time._

"_Not until you tell me what's up," Eagle told her gently. Then he mouthed, "Maybe not even then."_

_Jia smiled a little. Reading lips was something she had mastered from her many silent conversations with Kayla, but Eagle nor Red knew that._

"_Cody's dead," she finally choked out. And then the tears came._

"_Holy shit," Eagle muttered. "You're absolutely sure?"_

"_He died in my arms," Jia whispered, her voice catching in her throat, making it hard for Eagle to understand her. "I can't be more sure."_

"_Oh, baby," Eagle sighed, not even realizing his slip until he felt Jia shift slightly in his arms to look up at him._

"_What did you just call me?" she asked him._

"_Nothing," Eagle said quickly in a tone that warned her not to push the subject. Jia stared into his eyes, searching for something. He didn't know what, but he found it hard to focus with her face only inches from his._

_They had kissed before, made out even, but that was when they were undercover. It had been fake. Now he found himself staring into her blue eyes, forcing himself to focus on not grabbing her and "de-virgin-izing" her, as Red would say._

"_It's not fair," Jia whispered, blinking, trying to contain the tears and keep them from escaping again._

"_It'll be okay," Eagle tried to comfort._

"_How can you say that and mean it?" Jia cried, her body quivering with built up emotions that she was struggling to contain and keep inside._

"_Because I will try and make it okay," Eagle said before he realized what he had just promised._

"_You will?" Jia asked, curling up against his chest. "Really?"_

_Eagle studied her in a way he knew he probably shouldn't be. He wasn't supposed to be in love with her. He wasn't supposed to be promising her things. He wasn't supposed to be protecting her and keeping secrets for her._

"_Yes, really," Eagle murmured, gently running his fingers through her hair. Jia stared into his eyes, and the intensity of her gaze was a little unnerving. _

"_You tell the truth," she said finally._

"_You think I wouldn't?" Eagle asked, insulted._

"_You are a master at lying," Jia pointed out with a shrug._

"_I thought I was better at it," Eagle muttered._

"_You're eyes," Jia said, tipping her head a little to the side. "You can tell a lot about a person from what is in their eyes."_

"_And what is in my eyes?" Eagle asked. He meant it as a joke, but when Jia answered, he knew she hadn't taken it as one._

"_You want to kiss me," she said. She bit her lip and smiled a little and averted her gaze downward. Eagle watched her carefully, wondering what was bothering her now. "And you want to love me; and protect me. But I don't need protecting."_

_Eagle let out a breath of laughter and moved so he was lying next to Jia._

"_I know I will never replace the brother that Cody was," he said after a couple moments of silence, "but I will do my best."_

_The muscles around Jia's eyes tightened as she studied him. He guessed she knew that brotherly love wasn't the love he had in mind, but if she did, she never said so._

"_Red, too?" she finally asked, breaking the silence._

"_I'll talk to him about it," Eagle said. "But I know his answer will be yes."_

_Jia smiled and stared up at the partly-cloudy, night sky._

"_Aren't you going to ask why I refuse to face Wolffe?" she asked him._

"_No, because I know you'll tell me," Eagle retorted._

"_He was the one that had Cody killed," Jia said._

"_He was the what now?" Eagle asked, pushing up into a sitting position._

"_The type of sniper rifle used is Wolffe's, and it was recently fired," Jia explained with a grimace._

"_I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you're planning on a way to kill him?" Eagle asked._

"_Something like that," Jia said with a small smile at the ideas forming in her head. _

"_Do you know why Wolffe had Cody killed?" Eagle asked her._

"_You can answer your own question," Jia said._

"_He knew about who we really were," Eagle said with a sigh. Jia nodded and her bottom lip trembled as she struggled to hold back the tears once again. Eagle opened his arms and looked pointedly at her. "Bring it here."_

_Jia crawled into his lap and snuggled back into him, crying silently into his shirt. Eagle sighed. The silent tears were always bad; the ones you couldn't see were the worst. And right now, he couldn't hear or see the tears that Jia was crying._

* * *

"What were you thinking, leaving the Temple the way you did?" Anakin asked Ahsoka, causing her to flinch slightly from him. He almost never raised his voice at her, and now it both startled her and made her defensive.

"I was thinking that I was helping my friend," Ahsoka snapped.

"I tried to contact you, I tried to track you, I even had Rex send out men looking for you," Anakin said. He wasn't quiet yelling, but it was louder than his normal speaking voice. Ahsoka felt guilty at that. Of course Rex sent out men to look for her. He probably hadn't slept any since she had disappeared with everyone else.

"Wait, you tried to contact me?" she asked. "I never got anything."

"Is there something wrong with your comlink?" Anakin asked, sounding annoyed.

"I think it's Jia's ship," Ahsoka said thoughtfully.

"You've been able to contact her before," Anakin pointed out.

"Yeah, but she probably has it so her comlink is set on a different frequency than everyone elses and she has something automatically jamming every other frequency," Ahsoka explained. "As for when you tried to track me, she has made that ship virtually and physically untrackable. She has made it possible to disappear completely when she's on her ship."

"That doesn't matter," Anakin snapped. "You broke the rules, you led a group of Padawan out of the Temple, and you brought a youngling along."

"But we all made it back safe," Ahsoka argued.

"That doesn't matter," Anakin repeated.

"Don't you wanna know why we came back?" Ahsoka snapped, finally losing her patience with her Master.

"Fine, why did you come back?" Anakin snapped back.

"We think Jia might have been spying on us the whole time," Ahsoka said in a quieter voice.

"We have to go see the Council," Anakin muttered.

"No," Ahsoka cried, knowing just how harsh the Jedi Council could be.

"We have to go see them anyways, might as well do it now," Anakin said with a sigh. Ahsoka relented, knowing he was right.

* * *

Maddison sat balancing on a railing, watching Jacob pace up and down in front of her.

"I can't believe she would do something like this," he muttered.

"Maybe you're just assuming," Maddison said. "Jia would never betray us."

"Maybe she was already a traitor and just gained our trust so she could have access to insider information," Jacob retorted.

"Or maybe," Maddison snapped, hopping off the railing and walking over to glare at her cousin, "she just stole that information."

Jacob paused at that. He knew Maddison was right. Jia could also be a thief when she wanted to be. But he wasn't going to admit his younger cousin was right.

"Hmph," Maddison said, making a face up at him that looked so much like Jia, Jacob smiled. "What?"

"You're learning from Jia," he said, ruffling his cousin's hair. "She makes that exact face."

Maddison smiled. She wanted people to know she knew Jia, especially since the girl was so well-known and respected, but she wasn't going to go and shout it to everyone. Instead, she copied Jia's facial expressions.

"We need to go see the Council," Jacob said with a sigh. "We're gonna be in so much trouble."

"We could always lie," Maddison suggested without missing a beat.

"What?" Jacob asked, shocked. Maybe it wasn't such a good thing for his younger cousin to be copying Jia.

"Well, we could change the story just a tiny bit to make it seem better," Maddison explained with a shrug.

"Did you get that from Jia, too?" Jacob asked warily.

"No," Maddison said. "I've done it before."

Jacob almost choked on the air he was breathing in.

"You did _what?_" he snapped.

"That day Jia took me out of the Temple. I was late to my lesson so I had to figure out something so we wouldn't get in trouble. Master Yoda believed me, too. Or he pretended to," Maddison said with a shrug.

Jacob just stared at Maddison. He might like to purposely break the rules sometimes, but never had he dared lie to one of the Jedi Masters. He was too scared of the consequences. Obviously, Maddison wasn't.

"It's all in your head," Maddison said, picking up on what he was thinking. When he looked at her, she said, "Jia taught me this. Just listen. You are never rude or anything to the Jedi Council, but you are to me-."

"That's 'cause you can't put me on guard duty or keep me stuck here at the Temple," Jacob interrupted. Maddison gave him another "Jia look," and he snapped his mouth shut, trying not to smile.

"It's all in your head. It's because of your perspective," Maddison continued.

"How so?" Jacob asked.

"Why does Count Dooku make you nervous?" Maddison countered.

"Uhh, because he could kill me," Jacob said in a 'duh' tone.

"So could Jia, but she doesn't make you nervous," Maddison pointed out. "So could I, but I don't make you nervous."

Jacob realized what she was trying to say. And it actually made sense.

"I would like to see Jia go and say something like that to the Jedi Council," Jacob said, chuckling at the picture in his mind. Maddison also smiled.

"What would you like to see Jia say?" Adrik asked, approaching them.

"Nothing," Maddison said, speaking before Jacob could even open his mouth.

"Jia explain something to the Council," Jacob said, trying hard not to sigh at his little cousin.

"Oh, well, they're apparently going to attempt to get into Jia's ship in a couple minutes," Adrik said, grinning mischievously. "I was thinking maybe we could find Ahsoka and Barriss and go watch. I'd like to see just how good her security systems are."

"Yes," Maddison said, jumping up and down and then turning to her cousin with pleading eyes, knowing he was powerless against the look.

"Fine," Jacob growled at Maddison. She smiled and bounced up and down in a mixture of excitement and impatience. Adrik laughed and placed a hand on Maddison's head, stopping her bouncing.

"I think Ahsoka is with Master Skywalker, and Barriss is in her dorm, and Nevaeh is already at the gathering place, waiting for us," Adrik said as they walked.

"We'll get Barriss first," Jacob decided. He turned down the hallway and knocked on the door to her dorm. Barriss appeared a moment later, looking very…. down. Jacob had no other word to describe the way his new friend looked.

"Yes?" she asked politely.

"The Council is gonna attempt to break into Jia's ship," Jacob said. "Apparently they don't know that she hardcoded my fingerprints and things into the system, along with Maddison's and Ahsoka's. We're gonna go watch; wanna come?"

Barriss looked hesitant, and Maddison spoke up.

"It could be the only time you have a chance to see the Council make fools of themselves," she pointed out. Then she clamped her mouth shut as she remembered that Barriss's Master was on the Council.

"Okay," Barriss finally said, smiling a little.

"Do you know where Ahsoka is?" Adrik asked.

"On her way to the archives," Barriss answered. "Master Skywalker is making her study until he has time to take her before the Council."

"I'll get her," Maddison said, slipping down one of the hallways. Jacob paused for a moment to realize she was walking almost exactly like Jia: very light-footed, with no sound at all, and if it would have been on the ground, no impression would have been made.

"She's learning from Jia," Barriss commented, turning to watch, also.

"I don't know if that's a good thing or not," Jacob said as he watched his little cousin.

"Jia isn't all bad," Barriss said softly. "A lot of the things she knows, if they are used in a different way than the way she uses them, they are actually very useful, and I bet most of them could help save lives."

"We found documents and transactions linking to Separatists on her ship," Jacob muttered. Adrik had been silent the whole time, listening to the conversation, but now he spoke up.

"We've been so stupid," he groaned. "What if all the things that have to do with the Separatsts that we found are fake?"

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked at the same time Barriss started to.

"Didn't she say one time that she knows how to manipulate people?" Adrik asked. Jacob shook his head and Adrik sighed. "Well, I'm betting she does. She would have to be able to get out of some the trouble I'm sure she's gotten herself into."

"What's your point?" Jacob asked.

"What if she put those there on purpose," Adrik said. "I mean, now that I think about it, it seems like we were able to get into her computer too easily. This is _Jia_ we're talking about here. She wouldn't make her password something we could figure out."

"You mean we didn't have the real passcode, we just activated something that led us to fake documents and files?" Barriss asked, sounding as incredulous as they had ever heard her sound.

"She knew that if we found them we would turn around and come back here," Jacob said, finally catching on. "She did that to stop us from continuing searching for her. She's been kidnapped and she's still trying to protect us."

"Oh no," Barriss gasped. "But we've already told the Council."

"And now I bet the bounty over her head is going to increase," Adrik muttered.

"I got Ahsoka," Maddison said, startling everyone. They turned to see her padding silently down the hallways, pulling Ahsoka along behind her.

"Where are we going?" Ahsoka asked as Maddison pulled her up to Jacob.

"To go watch the Council fail in trying to break into Jia's ship," Adrik said, grinning. Ahsoka started to smile, but caught Jacob's and Barriss's expressions.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'll tell you later," Barriss promised. Adrik led them down rarely used hallway and pulled the cover off an air vent.

"No way I'm going in there," Maddison said.

"You are if you want to watch," Jacob said, grabbing her hand and pulling her in after him. it was surprisingly roomy. They all had room to lay side-by-side comfortably.

"It'll be a little squished when we fin Nevaeh," Adrik said as he crawled through the air duct, but we'll all be able to see.

"I like breaking the rules," Maddison sighed happily. Jacob just sighed.

"Good, you're here," Neveah said. "The show is about to begin."

* * *

"Now can I have the gun?" Jia asked.

"What gun?" S asked.

"The one Baldy promised me when he was half-asleep," Jia said with a sigh.

"Why would he give you a gun?" S snapped.

"Yeah, last time we gave you one, you killed someone," U added.

"Would you let that go?" Jia asked in an annoyed voice.

"Nope," Q joined the conversation.

"You don't get it," Jia said.

"Get what?" Shirya asked.

"I'm not a bounty hunter," Jia explained. "I don't need the money; I don't want the money. I'm an assassin."

"That helps a lot of things make since," Shirya said, not even blinking. Jia let out a silent sigh of relief. Everyone else she had told she was an assassin had freaked out.

"I still want the gun," Jia added.

"Now we definitely won't give it to you," S said.

"You, my friends, suck," Jia said in a sweet voice. Something inarticulate was muttered in response.

"We need to figure out a way to get the weapons for the job," Q sighed.

"What you gonna get from the job?" Jia asked out of plain curiosity.

"Lots and lots of money," Boba said, jumping into the conversation.

"You need money?" Jia asked incredulously.

"That _is_ what the word 'bounty' means," Shirya muttered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jia cried. "I can get you bunches of money and you won't need to kill anyone or go through the problems of getting weapons and equipment."

"I thought you were an assassin," Shirya said. "Don't they kill people, not steal from them."

"I can also be a thief, you know," Jia said in a lofty voice. Shirya just snorted and popped a cookie into her mouth.

"Meaning?" Boba prompted, getting annoyed with her way of skirting around the fact.

"Remember the tiny bag Sergei gave me?" Jia asked. "It has all sorts of keys and codes and things in it. It is like the master key to every single bank on every single planet. Plus, one of the codes gives us access to the vault of one of my hit man contacts."

"What are you trying to say?" Shirya asked.

"We don't need to kill to get the money you need," Jia explained in a voice that was a mixture of impatience and excitement. "All we need to do is-" she paused for effect and shrugged a little- "steal it."

* * *

"And then, when they tried to use the Force to trick the scanner," Nevaeh broke off into hysterics again; everyone else just laughed harder.

"I thought Master Windu was about to pop a vein or something," Adrik snickered. Maddison was laughing too hard to even breathe, let alone talk. Jacob was joining in on the laughter, but a growing feeling of unease was growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Maddie needs to get to sleep," he said finally.

"No," Maddison whined.

"Oh, now you're being responsible," Ahsoka snorted.

"I want to stay up," Maddison complained.

"Come on," Jacob said, getting up off the floor and pulling Maddison up with him. Maddison just gave a frustrated huff through her nose and followed her older cousin out.

"So what were you guys talking about earlier?" Ahsoka asked.

"We think Jia might have falsified those documents or something," Adrik said quietly.

"Really?" Ahsoka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. She knew we would turn around and come back to the Temple to tattle if we saw them," Nevaeh said.

Ahsoka froze for a second, and then said softly, "Oops."

"Well, that's just a theory," Barriss said in her soft voice.

"We need to get her laptop to check," Adrik said determinedly.

"Do you know how to hack?" Ahsoka snorted. "We won't get anywhere on her laptop."

"I say she either stole them or made them up," Neveah said decidedly.

"Or someone gave them to her," Jacob said, returning from putting Maddison to bed.

"Pessimist," Ahsoka muttered.

"Heard that," Jacob said.

"Guys!" Adrik snapped. "Give it a rest. We get it. Ahsoka doesn't like Jacob; Jacob doesn't like Ahsoka."

"So what do we do?" Barriss asked.

"Try and correct our mistake," Neveah said with a shrug. Everyone paused while they thought of the angry Jedi Masters and their own Masters. Finally, Ahsoka sighed.

"Easier said than done."

* * *

"You five ran away from the Temple, took a youngling with you, found Separatist documents in Jia's ship, and now you're trying to tell us that they're fake?" Windu asked incredulously.

"Well, when you put it that way-," Neveah started to retort.

"Neveah," her Master hissed from where he stood a few feet away behind her. She gave a short growl but snapped her mouth shut.

"You do realize how ridiculous your story is, don't you?" Obi-wan asked with more patience than Windu.

"Yes," Jacob said, trying hard to control his impatience. He was starting to understand some of the reason Jia didn't get along with the Council.

"But it's the truth," Barriss insisted. Her Master's eyes flashed and she bowed her head and fell silent.

"You guys aren't being fair," Neveah tried again, ignoring her Master's hiss of disapproval.

"What about?" Yoda asked.

"About Jia, about us, about- about- about," Neveah stopped, not sure how to continue. Jaocb glanced at her, and she shot a look at him, begging him to back her up.

"About what we did," he finished for her.

"It was the wrong acts for the right reason," Adrik said.

"That doesn't matter," Windu said. All five of the Padawan gave a collective sigh of defeat. Neveah knew she and Jacob were right: the Council wasn't being fair to them. And she knew Adrik was right: they had done the wrong acts for the right reason.

"As punishment, the five of you will-," Windu was cut off by the doors sliding open and Maddison running in.

"It was my fault," she said breathlessly before anyone else could say anything.

"Maddison, you're supposed to be asleep," Jacob hissed. She ignored him.

"I convinced them all to go look for Jia. And to take me with them. And to make the other Padawan lie about it," she continued. Jacob suddenly realized what she was doing. _She's learning from Jia,_ he remembered saying only hours before. He sighed. Maddison wasn't only learning the secretive, silent, shadowy things from Jia, she was learning everything else; that included taking the punishment for everyone else.

"Even so, they should not have cooperated," Windu said firmly. Maddison glared at him through narrowed eyes another thing Jacob recognized as a "Jia look."

The Council members all glanced around at each other and then at Yoda.

"Dismissed, they are," he said in his froggy voice. "Later, decide their punishment, we will."

"Thank you, Masters," Maddison said with a bow, and then stepped back, taking her place next to Jacob, and then following them out into the hallway. She whistled softly and Prima came bounding around the corner, startling everyone.

"Good girl," Maddison said, patting the animal on the head.

"What is that?" Neveah asked, taking a step back.

"Prima, her pet," Jacob muttered. Maddison tipped her head to the side and looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Jacob just bit down hard on his tongue and walked away. Maddison turned to everyone else, seeking an answer, but Adrik offered only a shrug. Madison sighed and turned back around, watching her older cousin walk away.

"Come on, Prima," she said, turning to walk down another hallway.

"Should we ask where she's going?" Adrik asked.

"She'll turn up," Neveah said as she shook her head 'no' and shrugged.

* * *

Maddison could hear the others talking as she walked away, but she ignored them. She placed her tiny hand on Prima's back, stroking her gently.

"Why are they so angry?" she asked her pet. Prima looked up at her owner, and then nuzzled her leg. Maddison smiled, glad for the companionship of the animal. She was so happy Jia and Lylla had allowed her to get the animal.

Maddison and Prima made their way to the roof and lay down, using Prima as a pillow and staring up at the stars.

"Which one do you think Jia is at?" she asked Prima. Prima just stared up at the sky. Maddison followed her gaze and saw she was looking up at a star that looked pink.

"I think that one, too," she giggled, hugging Prima tightly around the neck. The animal 'oofed' slightly as her breathing was momentarily restricted. Hearing the noise, Maddison loosened her hold. "Sorry, Prima."

Prima turned and licked Maddison's face and neck, causing the little girl to laugh and squirm.

"It tickles," she said between her laughter. Prima gave one more lick and then rested her head on her paws. Maddison turned slightly and curled up, still looking up at the sky.

"I can almost forget there's a war going on," she said after a few minutes. She sighed. "Almost."

She wished Jia was with her. Jia always knew what to say and what to do and what advice to give. Maybe she should have been more dramatic. Maybe cried some, thrown a fit, had a tantrum; maybe that would have convinced Jia to stay.

"I really miss her, Prima," Maddison said, tears starting to form in her eyes. "I really, really do."

Prima lifted her head again and turned to lick away the tears. She couldn't understand why her owner and her owner's friends could be so dramatic or emotional, but she could understand that licking her little owner made her feel better.

"I love you, too," the little girl sobbed, throwing her arms around Prima's neck again. This time the animal tolerated her owner squeezing the life out of her. She was confused the sudden change emotion in Maddison, but squeezing apparently seemed to be a good outlet for her.

Eventually Maddison's crying stopped, and Prima gave a few final licks. Maddison was silent for a long time.

Finally, she said to Prima, "I want her home. It's just not fair."

* * *

Jia stared in shock at the computer screen.

"What now?" Shirya asked with a cookie in her mouth.

"Apparently, I'm a wanted person. With a bounty over my head," Jia said, her lip curling up into a half-smile.

"You find that funny?" Shirya asked, shocked.

"Well, yeah," Jia said, not bothering to hide the 'duh' tone. "It took them long enough. I already had bounties over my head, about thirty-five of them, in fact, on my home planet. And that was only after six months. They increased the more time I spent with my team."

"You worked on a team?" Shirya asked.

"Uh, yeah, that's what you do," Jia said, turning to look at Shirya. "Haven't you ever worked on a permanent team?"

"Nope," Shirya said, popping another cookie into her mouth. Jia sighed as memories of Red and Eagle came flooding back. Shirya noticed. "What you thinking 'bout now?"

"My team," Jia said softly.

"_Your_ team?" Shirya asked.

"Yeah, the one I used to work on," Jia said, a wistful note in her voice. "We were the best of all the teams. Everyone but our leader told us so."

"Your leader didn't like you?" Shirya inquired.

"No, he didn't," Jia said, laughing without humor.

"Oh," was all Shirya said. Jia didn't mind. This time she wanted the memory to come. This time she was ready.

* * *

_Jia was attacked from behind. She turned to retaliate with a kick, but her attacker used her own momentum against her, grabbing her leg and pulling instead of twisting. Jia lost her balance and twisted herself in midair so she would at least land in a crouch. Her attacker was upon her in an instant, pinning her to the dark, empty road._

"_Who are you?" Jia asked the shadowy figure that had her stuck against the pavement._

"_I want your comm name," the person said. Jia recognized it as a male voice, but that's about as far as she got._

"_No," she said stubbornly. The figure laughed and then rolled her over onto her stomach._

"_What are you doing?" Jia almost-yelled when he yanked her shirt down her right shoulder, revealing the strange scar._

"_Checking something," the man said calmly, turning on a dim flashlight and shining it on her shoulder. After a few moments, he spoke. "So, you're one of Wolffe's?"_

"_Yeah," Jia said, drawing in a shuddering breath. Then she froze. "How do you know that I'm part of Wolffe's group."_

"_You just confirmed it," the man said, laughing. "And because I also happen to be in the same type of business as you and your friends."_

"_My team?" Jia asked, sitting up. "Where are there?"_

"_Did I say you could sit up?" the man snapped, forcing her back down onto the road. Jia winced as her head banged roughly against the pavement. _

"_Well?" she prompted. _

"_Why don't you come back with me," the man suggested, ignoring her question and making it sound like she didn't have a choice. _

"_I'd rather not," Jia started, but the man was already pulling her up from the street. He led her down back alleyways, being sure not to attract too much attention. As they passed under a street light, Jia was able to see he wasn't any older than Eagle._

"_You're only eighteen," she said in surprise. He only grunted in response. Jia had to jog to keep up with him. "Hey, so where's my team? You mentioned my team."_

"_I just said I'm in the same business," he said gruffly._

"_Why do you want me to meet your friends?" Jia asked._

"_You ask too many questions," the man snapped._

"_Hey, if you're kidnapping me, I at least want to know why," Jia retorted. Her kidnapper remained silent and picked up speed._

"_Hurry up," he hissed, yanking Jia forwards. She yelped as her arm was impaled by the tip of the man's knife, which was sideways on his belt. _

"_You don't need to stab me to get me to coöperate," she muttered._

"_Shut up," the man growled; and Jia had the sense to keep her mouth shut for once. Her ear bud was in her pocket. She could call for help when she got the chance. She knew fighting her way out was not a choice. The man had pretty much told her he was an assassin, just like her. Which meant his friends were probably assassins as well._

_Jia sighed. What a fine mess she had gotten herself into. But Eagle and Red would come for her. They always did. They never left her to fend for herself. They never left her alone if they could help it. They never left her to die. She had heard of some teams that would leave downed teammates. She was glad her team wasn't like that._

* * *

_I know that I ended the chapter in the middle of a memory, but it has been a while since I updated and the chapter was getting kinda of long (in my opinion). Please, please, please review and let me know what you think. I honestly love getting feedback from you guys. Even if you say "oh yeah, well this part didn't make sense" or "I don't really like whatever," that's fine. If anyone is reading my other story, it will be a little while before I update that one again. Oh, and, I don't know if anyone picked up on this, but 'the team' is any of the three teams: Eagle, Red, Archangel; Maddison, Jacob, Ahsoka, and the others; or Shirya, Jia, and the bounty hunters. They all have some sort of connection to Jia. _


	25. If He Is Also A Thief

**If He Is Also A Thief**

_Jia stood in front of her kidnapper's "friends." Most of them were either smoking or drinking, and the mixed smell was making her nauseous._

"_One of Wolffe's?" one of the other men asked._

"_And she isn't worn down yet like the other two," the kidnapper answered. Jia sighed as she stared around. She might as well give them names. _Thing One, Thing Two, Thing Three, Thing Four, Thing Five_, she counted happily in her head, only to be interrupted by a rude smack on the back of her head. _

"_Hey," she complained, turning around and raising a hand to give a return smack to Thing One. He used one arm to block, and Jia brought her other hand up and hit him across the face. She gave a triumphant smile and turned around, feeling very proud of herself. Her pride quickly diminished when she felt a gun pressed in between her shoulder blades._

"_I would hate to have to pull this trigger," Thing One said in a soft, malicious voice._

"_Then don't," Jia shot back. _

"_He didn't mean on you," Thing Four said. "He meant on the little boy you're trying to protect."_

_Jia forced herself to keep steady breathing. They knew. They knew about Gavin. They knew why she had joined Wolffe's group. They knew they had her trapped. Or did they?_

"_What little boy?" she scoffed._

"_I am correct to say his name is Gavin White, I think," Thing Two said. "And you are Sasha White, are you not?"_

"_Sasha?" Jia asked, raising her eyebrows. Now she was glad she had given only her middle and last name to Wolffe. "My name is Jiana."_

"_Jiana," Thing One said, scratching his chin. "No last name?"_

"_Jiana Quinsy," Jia said, saying the first name that came to her mind. Thing One snorted in disbelief. _

"_Really?" he asked. Jia remained silent. She had already gotten herself into enough trouble._

"_Why would I care about this White boy?" she asked with a sigh._

"_He is your brother," Thing Three said, smirking. Jia struggled to keep from reaching for her ear bud. Maybe Eagle and Red would know something was up. She had missed the meeting at Starbucks. She never missed meetings. Maybe they would come looking for her. She hoped so. Asking them for help over the comms was looking less and less like a possibility. _

"_I'm a single child," she said; which was about as far from the truth as she could get. _

"_Interesting," Thing One said. "So you wouldn't mind if we-?" _

_He finished his sentence by moving the gun from in between her shoulder blades and shooting a picture of her little brother that was hung up on the wall twice in the head._

"_I don't, but I think Wolffe would," Jia pointed out. The Things laughed and Jia knew right away something was off._

"_Wolffe is the one that killed the White family," Thing Four said. "Something about how he needed the daughter in the group, but she would never join unless under extreme circumstances."_

_Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense in an eerie way. The way Wolffe had accepted her so easily. The mysterious deaths of her family. The fact that he knew more about Gavin and Kayla than she would care to have him know. Suddenly, she realized why- for whatever reason- deep down in her heart and mind, she hated Wolffe. And he was going to be near the top of her hit list._

* * *

Maddison tried to push away whatever was poking her. She didn't want to wake up. She was warm and comfortable. Waking up meant having to go do things. She wanted to be lazy. The thing kept poking her, annoying her until her eyes snapped open and she sat up. She looked and saw Prima standing in front of her.

"Why'd you wake me up?" she grumbled at the animal. Prima just tipped her head to the side and gave a sigh through her nose. Maddison groaned and lay back down. It took her a couple moments to realize she was still on the roof of the Jedi Temple. Her eyes narrowed as she got an idea. If everyone thought she was still on the roof, no one would look for her until she didn't show up for her lesson. Which gave her time to run away.

"Come on, Prima," she said, standing up. She walked around the roof, trying to find a way to get off without alerting attention. Finally, she decided calling for help would be best. She took out her comlink and switched it on.

"Hello?" asked a soft voice.

"Lylla," Maddison said. "Can you come get me at the Temple?"

"Yeah, sure," Lylla said, her voice slightly distorted. "Where are you?"

"On the roof," Maddison answered. She heard Lylla laugh.

"I'm on my way."

Maddison cut the connection and watched the sun slowly rise up past the horizon, the tall buildings looking like silhouettes against it.

Lylla appeared after a couple minutes, pulling up close to the roof.

"Hurry up, before we get caught," she said urgently. Maddison snapped out of the little trance she had been in and took a running leap into the speeder. Prima followed, landing in Lylla's lap.

"Oof," Lylla gasped as the air was pushed out of her.

"Sorry," Maddison apologized for her pet. Lylla smiled.

"It's fine," she said. She turned the speeder away from the Temple, joining the stream of speeders. They rode in silence, Lylla focused on flying and Maddison studying everything. The eventually came to Lylla's apartment complex and Lylla landed her speeder in a ray-shielded dome. She climbed out and helped Maddison out. Prima turned and hopped out of the speeder, slipping on the slippery surface of the roof.

"This is cool," Maddison said, looking at the dome.

"Yeah, since I'm "rich," I'm able to get pretty neat security things like this. The apartment management supplies a lot of the things I use now," Lylla explained. The two girls exited the dome, and Lylla turned around and tapped the ray shield in three different spots.

"Security code," she said when she saw Maddison's curious look.

"Oh," was all Maddison said. Lylla led her to the turbolift and they stepped in. She glanced at Maddison's robes and the lightsaber hanging at her waist, giving away she was a Jedi.

"We need to get you changed," she said. "I think I might have a shirt we could improvise as a dress for you."

"Okay," Maddison said. She hadn't yet realized all the problems she had caused by running away. They came to Lylla's apartment and Lylla opened the door. Maddison walked in, feeling very much at home.

Lylla disappeared into her bedroom and came out a moment later with a long, button-down, plaid blouse.

"Here," she said, holding it up against Maddison, seeing if it would work as a dress. "Yup. It works. Go ahead and change and I'll be in the kitchen. I haven't had breakfast yet."

"Me either," Maddison said with a giggle. Lylla smiled and handed her the shirt. Maddison turned and entered the bathroom. She quickly slipped out of her robes and into the shirt. She buttoned it up and looked at herself in the mirror. The shirt was light blue and dark brown, with three-quarter sleeves that were too long for her.

Maddison looked at her lightsaber on the floor and picked it up. There wasn't a way she could conceal it unless Lylla put it in her purse or she was given a purse of her own.

Maddison folded her robes and exited the bathroom. She placed her robes on the sofa and continued into the kitchen where Lylla had set out two plates of a light, fluffy, pastry.

"What is it?" Maddison asked, sliding into the chair next to Lylla and helping herself. "It's good."

"My mom always called it devil cake, so I don't know the real name," Lylla said, taking a bite.

"Devil cake?" Maddison asked.

"She said because it has the ability to corrupt anyone," Lylla said, laughing. "Now she says we should call it the government's cake."

"Because the government is corrupted?" Maddison caught on, tipping her head to the side.

"Exactly that reason," Lylla said, taking another bite. Maddison just shrugged and went back to eating her portion of the cake.

"Where is the rest of your family?" she asked through a mouthful of food. "I've never met them."

"They live on the other side of the planet," Lylla said, pausing to swallow before she spoke. "I see them every once in a while."

"Can we go see them today?" Maddison asked hopefully.

"We could," Lylla said skeptically. "But shouldn't you be heading back to the Temple?"

"Oh, well," Maddison said, suddenly looking like she had been caught. "I sort of ran away."

"You ran away," Lylla asked slowly, "from the Jedi?"

Maddison nodded, the weight of what she had done suddenly settling in the pit of her stomach.

"Do you know how much trouble you could get into?" Lylla asked in a high voice.

"Not really," Maddison said in a soft voice.

"I have to take you back," Lylla said. "I thought you just wanted some breakfast or something."

"I don't want to go back," Maddison said fiercely.

"I have to," Lylla repeated. "I'm already under investigation for the aiding in the escape of a wanted killer. I can't afford to have them putting me on trial for kidnapping a Jedi!"

"You didn't kidnap me," Maddison pointed out.

"Maybe we could blame Jia," Lylla said with a sigh. "It is her fault that I feel perfectly fine with breaking the rules now."

"Don't blame Jia," Maddison snapped. Lylla looked at her, a startled expression on her face.

"Okay, okay, calm down," she said, rolling her eyes a little.

"Sorry," Maddison apologized. Lylla shot her a smile and took the last bite of her cake.

"Okay, time to go visiting," she said. Maddison jumped up after her, eager to get going, brushing aside the guilt brewing in her stomach.

"Yay," she said, skipping after Lylla. Prima got up from where she had been lying under the table and followed the two girls, sticking close to Maddison's side.

"So how is lovely little Prima?" Lylla asked, closing the door after the animal.

"She's not little," Maddison said. "She's got big."

"I can see," Lylla commented, watching the animal as it walked right next to Maddison, its head never getting more than a foot in front of Maddison's knee.

"So are we gonna visit all day?" Maddison asked.

"No," Lylla said. "Tonight I'm going to a party to we have to leave in the middle of the afternoon."

"Can I come?" Maddison asked eagerly. Lylla hesitated.

"Not really," she said. "But I guess you could stay in my apartment. Just don't open the door for anyone."

"'Kay," Maddison said. So far, running away was turning out to be great.

"Oh, crap," Lylla muttered, turning the speeder sharply to the left and ignoring Prima's annoyed growl.

"What now?" Maddison asked.

"I forgot. I need to go lifeday shopping for my cousin," Lylla explained, pulling up short to a high end shopping complex. Maddison stared at the building with wide eyes. Her gaze fell on one particular feature that bothered her.

"Why are there clone guards at this store?" she whispered, remembering the lightsaber she had stowed in Lylla's purse.

"I don't know," Lylla said with.

"If they see the lightsaber, I'm gonna be sent back and you're gonna get in trouble," Maddison hissed urgently.

"Why don't we just tell them I'm an undercover Jedi?" Lylla asked.

"Really?" Maddison looked shocked. Lylla smirked.

"I learned a few things about lying and cover stories from Jia," she said.

"I have, too," Maddison admitted, looking slightly guilty. Lylla laughed at her expression and helped her out of the speeder. Prima jumped out after her owner, resuming her spot next to Maddison. They walked up to the entrance of the shopping complex, only to be stopped by one of the clones.

"No animals allowed, ma'am," he said. Lylla turned her dark brown eyes on him, using a trick she had seen Jia do once and hoping it would work. She blinked slowly once and tipped her head to the side slightly.

"Please?" she asked in a soft, sweet voice. The clone stuttered, not seeming able to form an articulate response. When he didn't say anything, Lylla opened her purse slightly, allowing the early morning light to glint off the hilt of Maddison's lightsaber.

The clone immediately snapped to attention and gave a sharp, crisp salute.

"See, I'm working undercover and I would really appreciate it if the animal was allowed into the building," Lylla said, mimicking the tone Jia used when she meant business.

"Yes, sir," the clone said, still standing at attention. Lylla smiled and nodded once at the clone. She wasn't sure what she should do, but a nod seemed to suffice. She turned and entered the building, Maddison and Prima following at her heels.

"Dang," Lylla said, letting out a long breath. "Aiding in the escape of a wanted killer, kidnapping a Jedi, and now impersonating one; I'm definitely going to jail if I get caught."

* * *

Jacob walked down the halls of the Temple, lost in thought. He was snapped out of his musings when he heard an angry voice.

"What do you mean "she's gone"?" the voice hissed. _That sounds like Master Skywalker,_ Jacob thought. He pressed himself against the wall and crept forwards, deciding to do a little eavesdropping.

"Sir, we've searched the entire building," a voice buzzed through the comm. "She's nowhere to be found."

"Then I suggest you find her," Anakin growled. "I'm the one that's supposed to bring her and the others before the Council today, and if I have lost one of them, the Council isn't going to be too happy with me."

"We'll do our best, sir," Jacob was able to identify it as a clone voice.

"You better, trooper," Anakin threatened. "Skywalker out."

Jacob stayed frozen where he was for a few more seconds and then turned and went back the way he came. He had a feeling of who was missing, but he wanted to be sure. He caught Ahsoka as she was coming out of one of the training rooms.

"Ahsoka, where is Maddison?" he asked in a low voice. Ahsoka was immediately able to pick up something was wrong.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since last night," she said, her pale eyes widening.

"Has anyone seen my cousin?" Jacob got out through clenched teeth. Ahsoka's eyes darted around as she thought and then she shook her head.

"I don't think so," she said. Jacob closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clenching his hands. Ahsoka sucked in her breath as well.

"Jacob," she hissed. "Jacob I think you're about to break my arm."

Jacob's eyes shot open and he glanced down at the hand he had wrapped around Ahsoka's upper arm. He released her from his grip and took a step back.

"Sorry," he muttered. Ahsoka shot him a glance.

"Now, you know how Jia feels about apologizing," she pretended to scold. Jacob managed to spare a smile, but it was quickly replaced by a worried frown. Ahsoka elbowed him. "Hey, we'll find her. And I bet she has Prima with her, and if nothing else, that animal will keep her safe."

"I think it's more than that," Jacob said. Ahsoka raised her eyebrows, indicating he explain.

"If she has been influenced strongly by Jia, she might have done something like Jia would do," he elaborated.

"Like, kill someone?" Ahsoka teased. Jacob snorted, picturing his tiny cousin trying to kill someone.

"Yeah, I don't think anything that extreme," he said, rolling his eyes. Ahsoka smiled and turned to walk away. Jacob watched her leave, and then sighed and walked back to his dorm. Maybe after he got some much wanted sleep, everything would make sense. He shuffled into his dorm and then collapsed face-down on his bed. In seconds, he was asleep.

* * *

Jia shifted in her seat to get more comfortable. She looked at the main computer screen, and then the two smaller computer screens. All were wired to each other and to the other equipment she had managed to get her hands on.

"Everything seems clear," she said into her comm.

"Moving to intercept the carrier," Shirya said quietly.

"Remind me again why I'm the one stuck on the ship while you guys get to go steal things and shoot at people," Jia muttered.

"Because last time we let a certain someone come with us, that certain someone killed a man," Boba said with a sigh.

"Oh, yeah," Jia said with a snort of laughter. "That would be me."

She glanced at the main computer screen again, back down, and then at it again.

"Okay, okay, umm, Shirya, hold your position. Two unfriendlies heading your way. Both look to be armed," Jia said, trying to zoom in on the two beings.

"Know who it is?" Shirya whispered.

"If I had my other equipment I would, but since I don't, no," Jia said, annoyance in her voice.

"Can't you, like, enlarge the picture or something?" Q asked.

"Enlarge the-? I am working on a _stolen computer_ with two _borrowed _others connected to it, which, by the way, all are like old enough to have been around when the dinosaurs were," Jia snapped.

"Dinosaurs?" she heard Shirya mutter. "What are dinosaurs?"

"Their extinct on my planet. And they lived like gazillions of years ago," Jia explained in one breath. She heard someone give a breath of laughter, but couldn't tell who it was. _That's right laugh; you wouldn't be laughing if you were stuck with this crap,_ Jia thought grouchily.

"Shirya, they're at your three' o' clock, thirty feet away," Jia said, snapping out of her moodiness. "They're close enough for you to shoot."

"I know, I know," Shirya muttered. "You don't have to treat me like I don't know what I'm doing."

"Maybe I think you don't," Jia countered. Shirya started to make a retort, but Boba cut them off.

"Stop it," he growled. Shirya fell silent, but Jia heard her blow out a breath of anger, and smirked.

"Q, U, two armed guards coming at you from your seven' o' clock," Jia warned, turning her attention to the other members of the team.

"You mean the ones that are stomping around and have flashlights?" U snapped.

"Yup, those," Jia said, biting her tongue to keep from laughing. She heard two gunshots.

"Gee, thanks for the warning," U muttered. "What would we do without you?"

"You wouldn't be stealing billions of credits and you would definitely be way far behind your little bounty hunter schedule," Jia said.

"Actually, you caused the problem in the first place, so we would actually be on our 'little bounty hunter schedule' and we would be being bounty hunters, not thieves," Q said, venom in his voice.

"Well, I created a solution to the problem I caused, so you have no right to be mad at me," Jia said in a lofty voice. Jia heard a growl, but nothing else. She laughed silently to herself. Being stuck with the technology was turning out to be more fun than she thought it would be.

"I'm at the back entrance," she heard Shirya say. She looked up at the computer screen.

"Okay, one knife guard standing at your four' o' clock," Jia said.

She heard a gunshot and then, "Clear." There was silence and then Shirya hissed, "I don't know what type of door this is. There's no way in hell I can pick the lock on it."

"Remember that little black thing I gave you that I stuck on the end of your gun?" Jia asked.

"Yeah," Shirya said.

"Press the little blue button on it and point it at the lock on the door," Jia instructed. Another pause of silence followed.

"Okay, got it," Shirya said; and suddenly one of the side computer screens lit up with the image of an ancient-looking, rust-covered lock.

"Oh. My. God," Jia said, sounding appalled. "What do you mean you can't pick that? That is the freakin' easiest lock to pick ever!"

"Really?" Shirya said, sounding insulted.

"Yes, it's a basic pin-and-tumbler design; not much to it," Jia said, still sounding shocked.

"Well, thanks for the help," Shirya muttered, turning off the camera.

"See? This is why you need me down there with you guys," Jia said.

"We seem to be doing just fine without you," S said.

"You guys, maybe. But Shirya needs my help. Did you not just hear that? She can't even pick a pin-and-tumbler design," Jia said.

"Okay, we get it," Shirya snapped. "You can pick the lock, I can't. End of story. Period. The end."

"Touchy," Jia commented. "You must not like it when your skills as a thief are insulted. But let me tell you something: you guys aren't thieves."

"Then what the hell do you have us out here breaking into some rich guys vault for?" R muttered.

"I would've gone, but the boss-man wouldn't let me," Jia muttered.

"With good reason," Boba cut into the conversation.

"Shut up," Jia growled. She could picture him smirking. And then picture herself smacking the smirk off his face. It made her feel a little better.

"I'm in," Shirya finally said. Jia was about to make a comment about how long it took her, but then decided against it, not really wanting to make an enemy out of Shirya.

"Okay, take the next left, walk fifty meters, and there should be an air duct right above you," Jia guided the bounty hunter. "Is everyone else in position?"

There was an assortment of murmured 'yeses.'

"Who has a visual on the front entrance?" Jia asked.

"That would be me," Boba said.

"See those two guards?" Jia questioned.

"Yes," Boba answered.

"Take them out," she ordered.

"Why?" Boba asked as he took aim.

"So if Shirya has to get out of there quickly, she can use the front door," Jia explained, her tone of voice suggesting he should have known that. No response was given and Jia sighed. These people used to be so much fun to argue with. They would always take the bait. Now, not so much.

"I'm in the vent," Shirya said breathlessly, breaking the silence. "Now what?"

"Go forwards twenty meters, turn right, and go another twenty. There should be another vent. Take it off and right below that should be the money. Careful not to touch the floor because it's weight-sensitive," Jia said. "Oh, and watch out for the lasers."

"Lasers?" Shirya asked; Jia heard her stop.

"Well, yeah. Sub-par laser grid, model seven, to be exact," Jia said nonchalantly. "Nothing to worry about. They're virtually useless."

"Virtually," Shirya muttered. "What about reality?"

"You'll be fine," Jia said, shrugging away her worries.

"Yeah, I hope so," Shirya said.

"Okay, listen," Jia said, her voice changing. Her playful attitude was gone, replaced by a sudden seriousness that surprised everyone. "You have to believe you can do it, otherwise you're fear will over-rule your ability to get anything done."

"So I have to be stupid?" Shirya asked.

"No, just fearless," Jia said. Her playful attitude returned. "You can be stupid with the money, not when you're trying to get it."

"Thanks," Shirya said sarcastically. Jia just smirked, even though she knew no one was able to see her. Everyone was silent after that, mostly out of anticipation. The silence was broken once again by Shirya.

"Uhh, guys," she said, "I've got some bad news."

"Okay?" Boba prompted.

"The vault's empty," Shirya told him.

"What?" Q and S snarled at the same time.

"I said it's empty," Shirya repeated. "There's nothing in here."

* * *

"Empty?" Boba asked.

"I'm not making this up," Shirya said with a groan. "There was nothing in there. Even the laser grid thing had been turned off."

"Does anyone have _any_ explanation for this?" Boba snarled, turning around to look at the rest of the team. They all shook their heads. It was then that he noticed someone was missing. "Where's Blondie?"

"She said she was tired and was going to go to sleep," Q supplied.

"Blondie is purposely missing out on an opportunity to mock us?" Boba asked. "Now, something just doesn't seem right about that."

"I'm right here," Jia said, appearing in the doorway. "Geez, people, settle down."

Everyone just turned to glare at her.

"What?" she asked.

"You said we would be getting money," Q hissed. "A lot of money."

"Yeah, and we never got it," Shirya added. "That makes me cry in my special little… _angry _place."

Jia just shrugged and sat herself down on the floor, her knees drawn up to her chest, watching everything.

"I need that money," S said in a low voice.

"We all do," R muttered. Jia just rested her cheek on her knees, her bright blue eyes flicking from one person to the other as the silently read them. They continued arguing and complaining for a while, and Jia just sat, and watched. Finally, Boba realized something was wrong.

"You're being way too quiet," he said, turning to glare down at Jia. Everyone else stopped their debating and turned to watch.

"Am I now?" Jia asked, looking up at him from under her eyebrows.

"You know what happened to the money," Boba said, narrowing his eyes at her. Jia raised her head off her knees.

"Well, I have to hand it to you, Baldy," she said. "You're a lot smarter than I originally thought."

"So you _do _know where the money is," Q growled.

"I never said that," Jia said, stretching her arms and yawning. "Now, if you excuse me, I would like to go and get some beauty rest. My looks are starting to show the results of me not getting enough sleep."

She got up and left, leaving everyone staring after her.

"Something still isn't right," R muttered.

"Just figured that out now, have you?" Boba asked, raising his eyebrows. R ignored the comment. Everyone was still for a moment longer, and then Boba went after Jia.

"Should we go make sure she doesn't kill him?" S asked.

"Nah," Shirya said. "If she does, it's just more money for us."

* * *

Jia flipped on the lights of the closet "her" computers were in and walked in. She got down on her hands and knees and crawled under the table. Laying down on her back, she took a key out of her pocket and inserted it into a keyhole on the underside of the desk.

She had found the little hidden pocket a couple days after the computer had been given to her. So far, she had been using to store little objects such as other keys, but now, she had a different use for it.

The key turned with a soft 'click,' and Jia pulled down the piece of wood that served as the door of the little hiding space. She peered inside and smiled happily. Inside the hidden compartment was the sparkling gold and silver of the money from the vault.

"So," a voice said, and Jia sighed. She had been caught. "How'd you do it?"

"Do what?" she asked, deciding to try and play it off.

"Get the money. How'd you do it?" Boba repeated.

"It was very easy really," Jia said, crawling out from under the table and standing up. "All I had to do was wait till all of you guys were asleep, and then I tricked your little security system into letting me out. Then all I had to do was get inside the building and past the laser grid and I was home free."

"But you still came back?" Boba asked. Jia shrugged.

"Technically, I'm part of this team, and I don't know about you, but I don't leave a team member behind," she said, all seriousness.

"And the money?" Boba prompted when she was silent.

"It's on this ship," Jia said, nodding a little.

"Where is it?" Now Boba was getting annoyed with her.

"But I can't tell you," Jia said innocently.

"Why not?" Boba growled, trying to hold in his temper.

"Because that would take the fun out of it," Jia said.

"Meaning?" Boba prompted again.

"He who looks for money shall find it," Jia said, starting to walk away. She turned around so she could still face Boba while she was speaking. She smirked at him a little. "If he…. is also a thief."

* * *

_Sorry it took so long for the update. School started and then my laptop broke and then I had more school and then I finally had to write this and I kept redoing it because it just wasn't right… anyways, here it is. I'm thinking the next chapter might be the last with the bounty hunters. I'm not sure. I'm kind of getting bored with them. The last line and the "sub-par laser grid" both come from and belong to Leverage. Lylla, Maddison, Jacob, Jia, the bounty hunters (except Boba), and the Earth characters belong to me. Everything else belongs to George Lucas. _


	26. Mistakes Made

_I'm betting I've messed up the timeline a little bit. Oops and oh well. This is the last chapter with Jia being part of the bounty hunters, but they remain key characters to the story. Big thanks to The Righterzpen for correcting me on a major error. _

**Mistakes Made**

_Two months later…._

Ahsoka was exhausted. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, as well. The Citadel mission. Being part of the Trandoshin's hunting games. It had all taken a toll on her. She had some down time, though; recovery time. But she felt the need to move. After being on the run for her life, lying on a bed with monitors beeping around her was making her go stir-crazy. A couple weeks ago, she would have welcomed the silence and the solitude, but not now.

She was walking around the streets of Coruscant, studying all the different people and thinking. As it turned out, Maddison had run away. She had left everything except her lightsaber and Prima. Ahsoka wondered what it was like, not having to wake up at the crack of dawn, fight all day, and then sit watch at night. She liked being back at the Temple, with her Master and her friends, and even Jacob, as annoying as he was. But she wondered.

Ahsoka got stares as she walked. Her lightsabers were an obvious give-away that she was a Jedi, and most of the time Jedi weren't walking around Coruscant unless something had happened. She ignored the looks, and kept walking, enjoying the sun on her skin. She could sense something; a vague feeling of danger, but she ignored it. She figured she was just paranoid. Until the pinch came.

Ahsoka stumbled and caught herself on a wall of a building. Her senses started going haywire, and she had to close her eyes because everything started spinning. All the sounds started becoming echoey, and she swore she could smell burnt plastoid; the smell that was produced when clone armor was shot or burned. Her skin tingled, prickled, and then crawled. And then everything went black.

Someone donned in a black, hooded jacket picked up the fallen Padawan, leaving nothing except the dart that had poisoned her.

* * *

Maddison gasped. She recognized the Togruta walking down the street as Ahsoka. Ahsoka couldn't find her or she would be taken back to the Temple. She didn't want to go back. Living with Lylla was fun. It was like having the family she never did have. She had only found out Jacob was her distant cousin right before she turned five.

She had just turned six, and it had been her favorite birthday by far. Maddison had spent the day with Lylla and her family, visiting with them. She had become close friends with Lylla's cousin, Syrus. He looked almost exactly like Lylla, except he had bright green eyes and he was a few months younger. He and Maddison had spent the day in Lylla's grandma's kitchen, experimenting with all the different ingredients they could get their hands on. Some of the things had turned out edible and was actually good. Other things they had taken a bite of and then given to Prima. And even Prima refused to eat a few the things they had made.

Maddison followed Ahsoka closely, sticking to the edge of the crowd. If Ahsoka knew she was there, she never gave any indication. Maddison watched her closely. She could tell Ahsoka was tired. She walked with a slight drag, as if her energy was all gone.

Because she was watching so closely, Maddison didn't miss the flash of silver in the sun, and then Ahsoka stumbling into the wall. Moments later, a shadowy figure came and picked Ahsoka up, looked to the sides, and then walked off. Maddison waited until he was a distance away, and then trotted over to where Ahsoka had fallen. There, lying in the pieces of litter and empty alcoholic beverage bottles, was a little sliver sphere with a tiny needle poking out of it. It was small enough to go unnoticed, which was undoubtedly what the kidnapper had wanted.

Maddison crouched down and plucked it carefully off of the ground. She held it in the palm of her hand and squinted at it. She stood up and looked in the direction the person had disappeared to. She wanted to follow, but she knew it would be stupid. So instead she turned to face behind her. In the distance was the Jedi Temple silhouetted against the blue sky. She sighed and looked back down at the dart in her hand, and then back at the Temple.

Then she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. Time to do what she had been afraid to do for the last two months. She was going home.

* * *

Jia stared up at the ceiling of the dark ship. She was the only one awake. And she liked it. Finally some sort of alone time. But it wasn't like she hadn't been getting any. For the past couple months, she had been left out of conversations and plans, not included in jokes and even heists. She could tell something was up. Even Shirya was avoiding her.

She let out a soft sigh through her nose and rolled onto her side and stared at the door. Escape was so close. Now that she wasn't being included in the group anymore, the feeling of a team and loyalty had vanished. All she wanted now was to get back to the people who she knew she could count as friends. The clones, Ahsoka, Maddison, and Jacob.

Jacob. Jia closed her eyes for a minute and let Jacob's face fill her mind. She could hear him telling her to get off the _Resolute _as it was going down. Him asking her what he could do. Him telling her he would let her save her own life.

He hadn't come for her, and she knew he had found the documents. It hurt her though. Her plan had worked for keeping him, and probably Maddison and Ahsoka, safe. But that meant they had run right back to the Jedi Council to go tattle-tale on her. The pain in her chest started hurting more.

She hadn't just been protecting him, she had been testing him. Seeing if he would put his Code and his rules above her. And he had. And it hurt her. Almost as much as it had when Eagle and Red had died. It made her want to cry. But she didn't cry. Not anymore. Crying was a weakness. This was why she used to avoid intimate relationships with boys. There was just too much drama involved.

Jia opened her eyes again and stared at the door again, her blue eyes narrowing. She was getting out somehow, someway; soon. She was tempted to get up. To just run out the door. But then her eyes glanced down at the shackles that tied her feet together. If she tried to get up, she would be electrocuted in unconsciousness. She had tried it once to see if it would work. Her head had hurt for days afterwards and all her senses had been temporarily damaged.

That annoyed Jia. She relied as much on her senses as she did on her training. Her senses were what made her sharp and kept her on the edge. The shackles had made everything, as she had complained to Boba, "go wibbly-wobbly and squiggly."

She had been forced to wear them ever since she had told Boba how she had gotten off the ship. She sighed. She felt so stupid for doing that. She knew better. Assassin 101: never give away your escape routes to _anybody_. Now she knew why.

"Baldy," she hissed.

"Hmm," he muttered, mostly-asleep.

"I gotta use the 'fresher," Jia said quietly. She felt like a kindergartener telling the teacher she had to use the 'potty.'

"Mmm-hmm," Boba said. His hand reached out and flopped down onto the remote that deactivated the electricity in the shackles to a point. If Jia tried to go past the refresher, she would be electrocuted. If she tried to take the remote, she would be electrocuted. If she touched the shackles with her hands, she would be electrocuted.

Jia heard the slight buzzing that always indicated the electricity was on go off and she jumped up. She had been coping as best she could with having no outlet for her energy, spending hours at a time doing push-ups and sit-ups and pull-ups. Jumping up and down, doing handstands and modified versions of cartwheels and brannies and aerials. She had even practiced her martial arts as much she could, but with the shackles, it was more like she was fighting herself.

She ran to the refresher used it quickly, and then started running up and down the hall, not yet willing to go and lay back down. She had too much energy. With the electricity off for the moment, she felt free. She didn't have to mind how she moved. She remembered that mistake, too. She had been trying to get comfortable and had curled up on her cot. Her hand had accidentally brushed the shackles and she had been electrocuted. Everyone, of course, had thought it was hilarious, but she had to disagree. Being electrocuted into unconsciousness was definitely not fun, nor was it fun_ny_.

Finally, she felt calm enough to go back and try to get some sleep. As soon as she passed by the remote, the electricity automatically started back up again. Jia sighed. She wasn't enjoying this anymore.

* * *

Jia sat with her back pressed against the wall and her legs out in front of her. She wasn't even allowed to fly the stinking ship. She let out a groan of pent up frustration. She had figured out what was going on. Boba had decided to try and sabotage another Jedi cruiser. And she wasn't allowed in on it since she was friendly to the Republic. Maybe she should try to warn all deployed Jedi.

Then she glanced down at the shackles again. If she so much as touched the doorframe of the closet where the computer was, she would be electrocuted. She grimaced. Boba had definitely made sure he had her trapped and cornered. It was almost worse than being tied and tortured. Almost.

At least when she was being tortured/interrogated, she had something to focus her mind on: not giving away the wanted information. Now she had nothing to focus her mind on. So she stared blankly at the wall in front of her. She had tried goading Q into a fight, and had almost succeeded. Almost. Boba had walked in on the fight and electrocuted her. It sucked being shackled. At least she wasn't bound. That would definitely have been a pain in the ass.

She sighed and slid down the wall until she was laying on the floor, right in everybody's way. Since it was the hallway that led to the cockpit, it was the most used hallway. Everyone stepped over her, shooting her annoyed glares. Except for Shirya, who tossed Jia a bag of the SugarySweets cookies. Jia shot up and snatched the bag out of the air.

"Thank you," she breathed. At least if she had a bag of cookies to eat it was _something_ to do. Shirya gave her a quick grin and then hurried into the cockpit. The door slid shut behind her, blocking Jia out and everything she wanted to know in. Deciding to test her luck, she jumped up and crept to the door. She pressed her ear to the door, trying to listen. She could hear murmured voices, but couldn't make out anything. She ground her teeth in frustration. And then an idea came to mind.

She ran to one of the storage closets and dug around, searching for rope. She was knee deep in stuff before she found it. It was dusty and fraying, but it would work. She ran back to her computer closet and threw the rope, trying to loop it around one leg of the table. She heard the money in it shift, and smiled proudly. The bounty hunters hadn't found the money, not even thinking to check the desk even though Boba had caught her unlocking the hidden compartment.

The rope missed and Jia sighed. She threw it again, and it missed, again. It took five tries, but she finally got it. She grabbed both ends of the robe and tugged. The desk slowly dragged across the floor and out of the closet. To be sure she wouldn't be electrocuted, Jia pulled the desk all the way out of the closet. The computer wobbled dangerously, scaring Jia many times, making her think it was going to fall.

Finally, finally, finally, she got the desk out of the closet. She flipped on the computer and sat down, trying to hack into the comm system in the cockpit. If she typed in the right commands, she would be able to listen in on the conversation.

"How do we get in?" she heard R ask.

"We use Blondie," Boba answered.

"She won't coöperate," Shirya muttered. "Not with the ways we've been treating her."

"We'll make her coöperate," Boba growled.

"Have you not learned anything about her?" R asked with a sigh. "We can't force her to do anything."

"We can if we have something she cares about," Boba said.

"And what do we have?" Shirya snapped.

"Her Jedi friend," Boba answered.

"Crag Writ has the Jedi, not us," Q said.

"As revenge for Blondie stealing his money," Boba said smugly.

"How did he find out?" Shirya asked suspiciously.

"Blondie's not the only one with connections," Boba pointed out. Silence followed and Jia cut the connection. She had heard enough. She didn't need to hear anymore. 'Jedi friend" could only refer to three people: Jacob, Ahsoka, and Maddison. And Jia had a really bad feeling she knew who it was.

* * *

Maddison crept into the Temple. Technically, she was allowed back in, but she knew that being allowed did not necessarily mean being welcomed. She got curious stares from the few people she passed, and even some smiled from her friends, but the feeling of apprehension didn't fade. She gripped the dart tightly n her hand, fearing that she might lose the tiny object at any time.

Her comlink beeped once, twice, and she sighed and answered it.

"Suszko here," she answered professionally, which sounded odd in her young voice.

"Maddie, it's me, Syrus," the person on the other end said.

"Oh, Syrus," Maddison said, blinking. "I'm a little busy."

"Lylla said you went back to the Temple. Did you?" Syrus sounded hurt. Maddison hesitated before answering.

"Sort of, not really, yes. I don't know," she sighed. Syrus was silent.

"'Kay," he said, then he ended the call. Maddison sighed again and continued walking. A sudden feeling of urgency came over her and she broke into a run. She ran up to the Council's room and opened the door, not bothering to ask for permission to enter. They stopped whatever discussion they had been in and turned to look at her.

"Youngling," Windu's voice boomed and Maddison flinched from him. "What is so urgent that you need to interrupt our meeting?"

"Ahsoka's been taken," Maddison gasped out, out of breath. "She was poisoned. And then someone took her. But I don't know where."

"Slow down and breathe," Luminara said softly. Maddison took many deep breaths and then repeated what she had just said, handing the Jedi Master the poison dart.

"You saw someone take Padawan Tano?" Windu asked. Maddison nodded, but shook her head when she was asked, "Do you know who it was?"

"You are dismissed," she was told rudely.

Maddison blinked and then asked before she could stop herself, "What about me running away?"

"We will talk about that later, youngling," Windu said. Maddison felt anticipation pooling in her stomach at his tone. She was no doubt in a lot of trouble.

Her feet dragged as she walked to her dorm. She opened the door and walked in. Everything was the same as when she had left. The bed was unmade, the drawers on her dresser were hanging partially open, her blinds were closed. Crumpled clothes littered the floor, never having made it into the laundry basket. Maddison knew this was all her stuff, and it should have felt familiar, but it wasn't. She looked down at her bright blue, sparkly shirt that came down her mid-thighs, her white leggings, and the silver, suede boots. She didn't look like a Jedi, and she definitely didn't feel like one.

Her lightsaber was stowed, hidden and hard to reach, in a bag she had across her right shoulder. Her brown curls were held back by a headband and her braid had ceased to exist many, many days ago. Nothing about her was very Jedi-like at the moment. The thin bracelets on her wrist clattered and clinked as she rubbed her eyes; her necklace shone against the shirt as the early afternoon sun hit it.

She went and sat down on her bed, and then fell back, staring at the ceiling. She felt awkward and out of place. Everything about her screamed 'civilian,' not 'Jedi.'

She was almost asleep when there was a knock on her door.

"Unlocked," she managed to mutter. All she really wanted to do was sleep.

"So, you're back." Maddison sat up so quickly she got light-headed. Standing in her doorway was Jacob. Her cousin looked at her with something that was near hostility. She offered him a tiny smile, which quickly fell when he didn't return it.

"I'm back," she threw his words back at him in a small voice. Jacob's expression didn't change.

"Why?" he asked. Maddison couldn't stand the wall that had sprung up between the two of them, so she climbed off her bed and ran into Jacob. She was only up to his waist, but her momentum was enough to throw him off balance. She wrapped her arms tightly around his legs.

"I missed you," she mumbled. Jacob hugged his cousin back.

"Don't ever do that again," he scolded. He wasn't ever going to admit it to anyone, but he had been terrified for his little cousin.

"Okay," Maddison said with a sniffle. Jacob stayed with her the rest of the day, and Maddison felt the first trickles of familiarity returning. But after Jacob left and she was left alone, she kept imagining how sad Lylla probably was. And then she thought of Syrus's voice when he had asked if she had returned to the Temple. She sighed. She had made a mess of the life she had once thought so simple.

* * *

Jia was rudely awakened by a short blast of electricity. It set her head spinning and she was very light-headed as Q yanked her up off the cot.

"Now what?" she grumbled.

"Boss wants to talk to you," Q said in a voice that sounded almost….. regretful? Sympathetic? Jia was thoroughly confused and befuddled. Or maybe it was the effects of being electrocuted.

"What about?" Jia grumbled.

"That's his business with you, not mine," Q snapped in a rough voice. Now Jia knew something was definitely wrong.

"Okay," she said, turning to look at Q, trying to get a read on him. He was keeping his face blank and his eyes stared straight forward. The only thing she was getting was that he wasn't liking what he had gotten into. And then they were at the entrance to the cockpit. Q shoved her roughly through the door, shutting and locking it behind her.

"What do you want, Baldy?" she growled irritably.

"Not very friendly," Boba commented.

"You've kept me in electrified shackles, haven't told me anything, and suddenly, you need to talk to me," Jia snapped. "Yeah, I'm not gonna be very friendly."

"Whatever," Boba said, getting on topic. "We need your help."

"_We_?" Jia asked incredulously. Boba sighed.

"I," he corrected.

"And what would _we_ be doing," Jia spat sarcastically. A malicious look came into the bounty hunter's eyes and Jia was electrocuted again. She fell onto her knees gasping for breath as the dizziness returned.

"Just stay like that and don't say anything," Boba said in a low, threatening voice. Jia ground her teeth together. She was becoming weak. What had happened to resisting interrogation in a prison camp? Fighting off a toxic truth serum? Watching Cody die in her arms and still being able to function?

Now all it took was a little bit of electricity and she was down on her knees. Jia was disgusted with herself. Wolffe definitely would have disapproved. Wolffe! She truly was going crazy if she was worrying about if he would approve or not.

Boba grabbed a handful of Jia's hair and pulled her head back against him so her neck was completely exposed, making her look more vulnerable. In his other hand, his gun hung loosely at his side. Jia recognized the stance as relaxed, but threatening. She had used it one some of the victims of her interrogations. Except she usually had a knife, not a gun. Which reminded her.

"Hey, Baldy, I want my knife back."

"Shut up," he said, jabbing the butt of the gun into her head. The lights flickered and stars appeared in Jia's vision. Pain exploded on the side of her head, but she didn't pass out. This had to be what he wanted. Her in the weakest possible state he could get her. Not able to function or even think properly.

"Master Jedi," Boba said pleasantly, causing Jia to open her eyes quickly. In front of her stood the tiny, blue figures of most of the Jedi Council. Jia immediately knew what was going on. Boba was blackmailing the Jedi for something. And she was the blackmail.

"Bounty hunter," Jia recognized Windu's voice, but Boba cut him off.

"Shut up and listen," Boba said, his hand tightening his hold on Jia's hair. "I want to meet with you. In person. In a location of my choosing. You come alone."

"If I don't?" Windu asked, his eyes flicking to Jia.

"You should know what happens next," Boba said, smiling viciously. "I kill your little friend here."

The muscles around Windu's eyes tightened as he studied Boba and Jia. Jia knew what he was thinking. They weren't exactly friends. Her death wouldn't exactly bother him.

"Discuss this, we must," Yoda said.

"He won't do it," Jia spoke up. She spoke to Boba. "Windu? He's not gonna come. He knows I can take care of myself."

"Shut up," Boba growled. Jia ignored him and kept speaking.

"They aren't gonna discuss whether to come or not, they're gonna discuss whether or not my life is worth it," Jia said. She felt like she was going a little crazy, but at the moment, she was trying to do anything to keep the Jedi from coming. She knew Boba had every intention to kill Windu, and having been the hand of many deaths due her want for revenge, she knew he would stop at nothing. "Why waste energy on coming to rescue an assassin? The galaxy would be better without her. That's what they're gonna discuss. Windu doesn't like me. He won't give a two shits about whether you kill me or not."

"I said shut up," Boba snapped. He hit the remote that was hanging off his belt and electricity coursed through Jia. She let out a high-pitched scream before clamping her mouth shut and fell to the ground. She could tell right away that the electricity had been turned up several watts. She felt angry at herself for not being able to control her reaction as much as she wanted to. She also felt relieved. What she had just said came about as close to the truth as she had come in a while, and it was refreshing.

It was only a few seconds and then Jia was pulled up from the ground. It was enough though. She was weakening greatly. She could feel her strength slowly drip, drip, dripping out of her. And it wasn't a nice feeling. She listened as Boba gave the name of the planet and the coordinates. She listened as they planned to meet in eighteen hours. And she listened as Boba added one more thing.

"Oh, and if her-" he gestured with the gun at Jia "-life isn't worth anything to you, I think you'll find we have someone who does matter to you. I think her name is Tano," Jia snapped at that, even though Ahsoka wasn't the Jedi she had thought the one kidnapped. She threw herself backwards at Boba, trying to knock him to the ground; but she ended up on the floor again, writhing in pain as she was electrocuted. Boba smirked at the Jedi. "See you there."

The electricity was abruptly cut off and Jia gasped for breath. The pain was excruciating. And her pride was seriously injured.

"I think that went well," Boba stated.

"I'm sure you do," Jia hissed from her position on the floor. She was very tempted to attack Boba again, just to punch the triumphant smirk off his face, if nothing else.

"Well, I must get ready for my meeting with the Jedi," Boba said, turning to leave.

"You won't succeed," Jia said, making him stop as he reached the door. She looked up at him from the floor, defiance and something like victory shining in her eyes. "Even if they come, you won't kill him."

"How do you know that?" Boba snarled. He didn't like the way she could mess with people's minds, and he was pretty sure she was trying to manipulate him at the moment. Jia knew that Boba would end the conversation by electrocuting her, but she continued anyways.

"Because the Jedi will be able to anticipate almost everything you're going to do. And so will I."

And then she was electrocuted.

* * *

It should have been simple. Easy and clean. Done and forgotten. But it wasn't.

Lylla was hurt that Maddison had decided to leave without saying anything, but she held off on calling the little girl. She knew Maddison would have had _some_ reason to leave so abruptly. And her answer came at sunrise the next morning.

She shuffled out of her bedroom, pulling a satin robe tight around her body to block out the chill that seeped from the floor and through her slippers. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and wisps of it had come out while she slept, framing her face.

She opened her heavy, wooden front door partially, using it to hide most of her body. In the hallway stood many clone troopers and two Jedi. One was younger than the other, with short black hair and pale green eyes. Lylla's eyes flew to the braid that hung over his shoulder. Maddison had had a similar braid when she had first run away.

Lylla then studied the other Jedi. He was green with dark, lidless eyes, and fourteen tentacles coming from his head. Lylla recognized him as a Nautolan.

"Yes?" she asked, stifling a yawn. She checked the chrono hanging on the wall of her living room. Jia had figured out how to switch the way the numbers were displayed, so it said 0500 at the moment, and Lylla had never bothered to figure out how to change it back.

"May we come in?" the green Jedi ask.

"Umm, sure, I guess," Lylla said, stepping back and allowing them all into her apartment. Some of the clones turned to look at her and she shrank away from them. Sure, she had faced them before, lied to them even, but having them in her apartment suddenly made them seem more intimidating and powerful. And dangerous.

"Would you guys like something a drink or something?" she asked the Jedi, fighting off another yawn. What were these guys doing at her apartment at 0500 in the morning? The Jedi shook his head and she shrugged. "Okay."

She padded into her kitchen and put some water on the stove to heat up. She pulled some tea leaves out of a cabinet and set them to the side while she waited for the water to warm. She walked back out into the living room.

"You guys can sit down, you know," she said. The green Jedi was the only one who did. Lylla started to sit down, but then the timer on her stove started beeping, indicating the water was ready. All the clones jumped and raised their guns. Lylla was amused. "That's only the timer on my stove."

She walked back into her kitchen and turned off the heat. She added the tea leaves to the water and left it to brew. She pulled down a mug from another cabinet and set it next to her tea kettle. The smell of orange blossoms and honeysuckle filled her kitchen, and she breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent. It clung to her and followed her from the kitchen as she reentered the living room, and she saw the younger Jedi sniffing appreciatively.

"So, why are you here at-" she checked the chrono again "-0525 in the morning?" The green Jedi smiled a little and shifted to get more comfortable.

"Did the youngling Maddison Suszko stay with you while she was a runaway?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," Lylla said. "Where else would she go?"

"Did you take her from the Temple?" the other Jedi asked Lylla, taking a threatening step towards her. Lylla looked at him and raised her eyebrows, flabbergasted.

"You come into my house at 0530 in the morning and accuse me of kidnapping?" she asked. The timer went off again and she held up a hand. "Hold that thought."

She poured the tea into the mug, added some honey, and returned to the living room, clutching the mug with two hands. She curled up on the easy chair across from the Jedi and the clones.

"Okay, now you can answer my question," she said.

"The youngling returned to the Temple yesterday," the green Jedi began.

"Yeah," Lylla said. "Yeah, I know. But what is this about?"

"She claims to have seen the kidnapping of another Jedi. Do you know anything about that?" the Jedi asked.

"Oh, so not only am I being accused for kidnapping Maddison, I'm being accused for kidnapping another Jedi," Lylla said, taking a sip of tea. "This is great."

"Look," the other Jedi said, taking another step forward. "You're a friend of Jia's and obviously a friend of Maddison's. We just need your help."

Lylla took another sip of tea to hide the conflict inside her. She wanted to help, but she was offended that she had been accused of kidnapping.

"What do you need me to do?" she finally asked with a sigh.

"Ask Maddison what she saw. Exactly what she saw," the green Jedi instructed. "She's refusing to give us details."

"Well, gee, wonder why that is," Lylla muttered. The green Jedi smiled.

"So you'll help?" the younger Jedi spoke up again. Lylla turned to look at him.

"Is it impossible for you to wait your turn to talk?" she asked him. He just grinned at her and Lylla couldn't help but give a tiny smile in return. Lylla was going to say yes, but then she thought of Jia. _What would Jia do?_ She paused as they answered this question. _She would help, but she would also….. what else would she do? She would find out all the risks._

"Sure, I'll help," she said. "Just tell me how many people I'll get angry."

At that, the boy laughed. "You sound just like Jia." Lylla's gaze briefly moved to him and then back to the green Jedi.

"Only Maddison," the green Jedi told her. Lylla nodded again, pursing her lips as she thought.

"I'm not the right person," she said finally, taking the final sip of her tea and getting up to put the mug in the sink.

"What do you mean?" the boy asked.

"What's your name?" Lylla asked him, ignoring his question for the moment.

"Jacob," the boy said.

"Oh, Maddison's cousin," Lylla said brightly as she started to make the connections. Jacob nodded once. She sat back down in the chair and wrapped herself in the woven blanket Jia had given her.

"What I mean," she said slowly, "is that you might want to have my cousin Syrus question Maddison."

"Why?" Jacob asked. He had completely taken over the meeting, and the green Jedi was letting him.

"Because she's closer to him than she is to me," Lylla said. The chrono now said 0600. She needed to start getting ready to get to work. "I can give you guys his address. He leaves for school in three hours. You guys go talk to him."

"Thank you, Miss…." the Jedi trailed off and Lylla smiled.

"Lylla Reed," she said. The Jedi stood up and bowed politely.

"Thank you, Miss Reed," he said. Lylla returned the bow.

"Glad I could help," she told him. "Just next time, please wait until 0630 or something. Not everyone is used to waking up at the crack of dawn."

The Jedi just nodded his head and turned to leave, the clones following him. Jacob paused, though.

"Have you heard from Jia?" he asked Lylla in a low voice. Lylla shook her head.

"No, why?" she asked. Jacob just nodded and walked out the door. Lylla watched him walk away, her brow furrowing in confusion.

* * *

Jia walked with her head down. Boba was behind her, his gun to her back. Q, R, S, and U trailed behind; Shirya remained on the ship. To the curious onlookers it would look like she had given up, but instead, her head was down so no one would see her studying the… she couldn't even call is a village. It reminded more of a crossroads hamlets.

Boba led them to an old building. Jia guessed it had been magnificent once, but now it looked about ready to come crashing down on their heads. It was the perfect for killing someone. No one would think to look in a falling-down building. She doubted the occupants of the settlement would even care if someone was killed here.

Jia kept her head down, refusing to raise it even though she couldn't see past halfway up the walls. From what she could see, though, she could tell it was one big, empty room. There was a door on the opposite wall. She guessed that was what the Jedi would enter through. Unless they planned to come through the ceiling. That's what Eagle and Red would have done. Come through the ceiling. Surprise everyone. _Focus,_ Jia mentally snapped at herself.

Tall, narrow windows took up a lot of the wall space on the walls on either side of her. Rolled up carpets were sacked against the wall in one corner. Out of instinct, Jia immediately began assessing the best offensive and defensive positions, and the best areas to lay traps. _Those carpets would have made a good hiding area for an IED. Or two,_ she thought. _If the enemy were backed against the windows, shooting the windows to get the glass all on them would be an easy way to win. Booby-trapping one of the doors to explode as soon as it's opened would be good, too. It would take out some of the enemy before they could react. _

She was snapped out of her analysis of the room when the other door opened and someone walked in. Jia raised her head at this, curious to see who it was. It was Windu. Followed by Adi Gallia and Anakin Skywalker. _Hell. Anakin's not gonna be happy. This could get ugly. _Then she laughed mentally at herself. _It's gonna be ugly anyways._

"We've come, bounty hunter," Windu said. "Now give us the girl."

"I never said I was gonna give her to you," Boba returned. "And if I remember correctly, I said you come alone."

Windu didn't respond, but Jia saw his hand twitch towards his lightsaber. Jia was getting bored, and even though she technically wasn't part of the issue between the Jedi and the bounty hunter, she decided to step things up.

"You can't do it, can you?" she taunted Boba. "You can't pull that trigger. You're weak. Pathetic. Your father would be disappointed in you."

She could feel Boba trembling with anger at her words. She waited for the electricity. She was surprised when it didn't come. But she wasn't surprised when Boba shot at the Jedi. Windu activated his lightsaber and deflected the shot. Boba fired again, and again, his shot was deflected. All three Jedi had their lightsabers out now, and were in defensive stances.

"Told you," Jia hissed. Again, no electricity. But then both doors were crashed down and clones ran in, their guns at ready. All aimed at Jia and the bounty hunters. Jia's eyes quickly scanned the crowd. She was able to pick out Jesse, Hardcase, Fives, and Rex right away.

"Surrender, bounty hunter," Windu said.

"Yeah, surrender," Jia goaded. "You can't win. You're too weak. Don't have the guts."

Boba responded as she had expected, firing erratically at the Jedi. But Jia's triumph turned to horror as she saw one of the clones go down. She recognized him from somewhere. Frantically, she searched her memory. And then she realized it was Skipper. The clone who had aided her in the food fight. She hadn't known him very well, not like she knew Jesse or Hardcase or Rex. But that didn't stop the suffocating anger from taking over her.

The Jedi were approaching slowly, taking their time. Boba was shooting at them. The clones were shooting back. And Jia tried one last thing to stop anyone else from being killed. She had noticed the roof was made of glass when she had lifted her head to see which Jedi had come. Now she grabbed the arm Boba was using to shoot and pointed it upwards right as he fired off two shots.

The ceiling shattered and glass rained down on them. The clones were protected from the glass because of their armor. The Jedi used to Force to protect themselves from the falling glass. The bounty hunters moved so they were against the wall and crouched down, their heads tucked in. And Jia shoved Boba backwards. Already disoriented from the ceiling falling apart, Boba stumbled and fell. He grabbed Jia as he fell, and she fell back with him.

Shards of glass pierced his skin through his clothes, and he let out a bellow of pain. He rolled over, though, so Jia was underneath him. She yelped as the glass cut into her neck, face, and stomach. But it was better than being electrocuted because she knew that her pain was preventing someone else from being hurt.

Everything became blurry as blood seeped into her eyes, and all the sounds became strange and distant sounding. She saw, through squinted eyes, as Q, R, S, and U were arrested. She felt Boba's weight vanish from on top of her. A pair of white, armored boots appeared in front of her and she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Jia," she recognized the voice as belonging to Kix. She was surprised. She hadn't seen him in the group of clones. "Can you hear me?"

Jia wanted to respond, but her brain was slow in functioning. When she didn't say anything, Kix picked her up bridal style. Jia tucked her arms in and struggled to stay conscious. She knew she was losing blood fast; she didn't need Kix to tell her. But he did anyways.

"You're losing too much blood to stay and help," he said when she finally opened her mouth to speak. She knew he had been anticipating a complaint, but that wasn't what she had been going to say.

"The ship," she gasped out. "There's another on the ship."

Kix just nodded and handed her off to another clone. Jia desperately hoped he believed her and didn't think she was delirious. She wanted to say something to the other clone, but her brain was starting to shut down.

The last thing she was able to comprehend was that the ship had been found. And all of the bounty hunters had been arrested. And that she was in big, big trouble.


	27. Daddy's Little Girl Pt 1

**Daddy's Little Girl**

**(Part 1)**

Jia shot upright, and immediately regretted it. She groaned and wrapped and arm around her stomach protectively. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement and turned to see Kix coming to check on her.

"Took you long enough," he teased, although Jia could tell he had worried.

"How long have I been out?" she asked hoarsely.

"Two and a half days," Kix said, turning his back on her and doing something. "Although, some of that is because I kept you unconscious knowing you would try to start running around as soon as you woke up."

Jia strained her neck trying to see what he was doing, and regretted that, too. She let out a hiss of pain and her hand went to her neck. Kix turned back around and Jia saw a syringe full of a clear liquid. She shrank away from it.

"No medicine," she said, raising her hand to push the syringe away.

"It's a painkiller," Kix said with a sigh. He had forgotten how Jia could be when she was injured. Jia glared at him stubbornly, but he ignored the look and injected the medicine into her arm. Jia continued to glare at him for a few moments, but then relaxed as the medicine started to work.

"So, how many people are angry at me?" she asked, tipping her head to the side and feeling some stitches pull. She ground her teeth together but otherwise showed no indication of being in pain.

"Pretty much everyone," Kix admitted. He looked uncomfortable and Jia narrowed her eyes at him.

"What?" she asked.

"Some said that we should have left you there," he said.

"Do you think that?" Jia asked him quietly. Kix started looking even more uncomfortable and Jia smiled.

"It's 'kay," she said. "I would have left me there, too."

Kix remained silent not sure what to say. Bandages covered one side of her neck and half her torso. Her eyes had bags under them and she had new scars around her ankles. He figured they were probably from the shackles. Her hair was almost back to normal, the semi-perm wearing off. She was paler, too. Her skin wasn't as dark as it had been when she had disappeared. And a freckle or two spotted her cheek.

"When am I getting interrogated?" Jia asked him. She was so calm about the fact that everyone saw her as an enemy, Kix wondered if he should be worried or not.

"As soon as I say you're strong enough," Kix answered. Jia saw his eyes flash as his mind worked furiously.

"Don't use your influence to put off my interrogation," Jia said gently, guessing what he was planning. Kix just turned to look at her, his amber eyes burning. Jia met his gaze evenly, trying to work out what was now going through his head. They stayed like that for a while, staring each other down, until Jia finally patted the bed. Kix sighed and pulled up a chair, sitting down next to her.

"What are you thinking about now?" she asked, staring up at the ceiling.

"Can't you guess?" Kix muttered.

"If I could, would I be asking?" Jia retorted. Kix's lips quirked up in a grin at the familiar banter. But then his smile fell and he shook his head.

"Nothing," he said.

"You're a clone. You're always thinking about something," Jia muttered.

"I meant nothing I'm gonna tell you," Kix shot back. Jia stuck her tongue out at him and his smile returned. Jia brought up one hand to brush her hair out of her face, pausing to study the extent of the damage the glass had done to her. The bandages had been removed from her arms and so she was able to see all the nice slices the glass had given her.

"Well, guess that's just more scars to add to the mix," she said neutrally.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Kix said, taking her hand in his much larger one. "We would have been able to catch the bounty hunters, even with them shooting at us."

"Would you be saying the same thing if it was you who had been killed and not Skipper?" Jia asked him.

"We were bred to die in battle," Kix said in a gentle voice. "Bred to kill and die. Nothing more, nothing less."

"That's not right, though," Jia protested.

"Tell the Kaminoans and the Chancellor that and we'll be good to go," Kix teased her. Jia, not thinking that was so amusing, shot him a look; but it only widened Kix's grin and he chuckled.

"You're so easy to bait," he said, still chuckling.

"Glad you think so," Jia muttered. She extricated her hand from his and rolled over so her back was to him, ignoring the pain as more stitches pulled. Kix sighed. That wasn't the reaction he had been expecting.

"Sorry," he said, resting his hand on the side of her head. Jia turned her head back around to look at him, and he finally saw the familiar sparkle of humor in her eyes.

"Never apologize," she started, and Kix joined in, "it is a sign of weakness."

Jia smiled a little, and then rolled over onto her other side, taking Kix's hand and holding it to her chest. She fell asleep curled up, holding his hand, much like she had used to when she was little and her father would tuck her in to bed.

* * *

Jia walked down the hallways of the ship. She had been given the 'okay' by Kix to go and get some food. She kept to the edges of the hallway, sticking to the shadows. She wasn't yet ready to put up with everyone's anger at her. She ignored the glares she got, slipping into the kitchen and grabbing a rations bar. She was almost back to the medbay when she heard sobs. Someone was trying hard to keep control of their emotions and failing terribly.

Deciding to go investigate, Jia turned the opposite direction of the way she had been going, searching for the source of the crying. It turned out to be Fives, sitting on his bunk, his head in his hands. Jia walked in silently, hesitantly, not sure if she would be welcome.

"Fives," she called quietly. His head shot up and his eyes flashed in anger and embarrassment. Jia took another few steps towards him. "What's wrong?"

It wasn't a usual sight that he was alone. Echo was usually always next to him. And then it hit her. _Oh my God. Echo must have been killed._

"Fives, where is Echo?" she asked, almost fearing the response.

"Blown up," Fives was barely able to get out before he broke down again. Jia let out a sympathetic sigh and came to sit next to him.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured. She wrapped her arms around one of Fives's armored ones and leaned her head on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen, but she ignored it.

"Why should you care?" Fives spat, causing Jia to scoot away from him. "You're an assassin. They're the ones who take lives."

"I care because you're my friend and because I understand," Jia said, making sure her voice stayed low and soothing and under control.

"We're not friends," Fives growled. "And you don't understand. You've never lost a brother."

"You don't know that," Jia said in the same controlled voice. "I have lost a lot of people I care about."

"Ever had to watch one get blown up?" Fives asked sarcastically.

"Actually, yes," Jia said, standing up and turned to face Fives, her eyes flashing in anger and pain. So much for staying under control. "I had to watch my little brother and my twin sister get blown up. I had to watch my older brother die in my arms. I had to watch my two team members commit suicide to save me. I had to watch my boyfriend take the sniper shot meant for me. Trust me, I know what it's like to lose someone."

"Me and him were the last survivors from our squad," Fives said in a pained voice. "I'm the only one left, now."

"Get over it," Jia snapped. She knew she shouldn't have said that, but she was angry now. "Wallowing around in self-pity isn't going to bring Echo back."

"Going out to kill people didn't bring your siblings back, did they?" Fives shot back.

"No, but at least I did something other than sit and cry," Jia spat. As equally furious as Jia, Fives jumped up, intent on knocking her upside the head, but managed to get control over himself right before he did.

"You're not my friend," he repeated, still furious.

"Good," Jia hissed, "because you're not mine."

She spun around and left the room quickly, not bothering to stay on the edge of the hallway this time. Luckily for her, the hallway was mostly empty. The few people she ran into moved out of her way, avoiding her like she had some sort of infectious disease. She breathed a sigh of relief when she got back to the medbay. It was like her safe haven at the moment.

She jumped onto the bed and lay face-down, not bothering to move even when she heard the door slid open.

"What?" she asked when whoever it was didn't say anything.

"Come on," she recognized the voice as belonging to Rex. Jia rolled over and looked up into his visor.

"Do you think I should have been left in that building?" she asked him.

"No," Rex answered. Jia narrowed her eyes at him, but when he met her gaze, she decided he was telling the truth.

"Fine," she said. She slid off the bed, sucking in her breath as her bare feet hit the cold floor. Rex led her down the halls to the interrogation rooms. Jia went and sat down in the far chair, her eyes darting around. She didn't miss that camera that was in one corner of the room.

"What' the camera for?" she asked.

"To make sure you don't escape again," Rex said. Jia smiled a little at that.

"So, who's gonna be interrogating me?" she asked.

"General Skywalker would like to," Rex muttered. Jia paused at that.

"He's really angry at me, isn't he?" she inquired, holding Rex in place with her gaze.

"Furious," Rex admitted with a sigh.

"And you?" Jia asked him. She knew he and Ahsoka had been involved in a romantic relationship.

"A little," Rex said in a reserved voice. Jia nodded.

"'Kay, well send your furious general in," she said. She could picture Rex rolling his eyes. He turned to leave, but she called to him, making him pause. "Oh, and make sure you watch." She nodded to the camera. Rex sighed audibly and Jia smiled. She watched Rex leave and then leaned back in the chair, completely relaxed.

It was a little while before Anakin came. But when he did, Jia knew immediately he was going to stop at nothing to get the information he wanted.

"Hi-," she started to greet him.

"Shut up," he snarled. Jia looked at him and then shrugged. Being silent worked just fine. "Where is my Padawan?"

"I don't know," she said.

"You're the one's that kidnapped her," Anakin said.

"Why would I kidnap Ahsoka?" Jia asked him. "She's my friend."

"That's not what the bounty hunter's saying," Anakin said in a low voice.

"Oh, so you're going to believe him over me?" Jia questioned. "Excuse you, but I've been on your side the entire time."

"You were off playing happy family with a group of bounty hunters, and you're saying you've been on our side the entire time?" Anakin snapped.

"Playing happy family?" Jia repeated incredulously. "I don't know if you failed to notice, but they were keeping me in electrocuted shackles." She conveniently left out the part about when she hadn't been in shackles. Anakin opened his mouth to speak, but Jia beat him to it.

"I don't know anything about your Padawan. I've been out of communications with everyone for about three months," her eyes flashed. "And if I did know something I would be out there looking for her, not in here."

Many clones had gathered the screen that was displaying the interrogation, watching with interest.

"Ahsoka is like family to me," they heard Jia say. Anakin stiffened at that.

"You say she is like family and yet it's your fault she's gone," he said in a low voice.

"I. Didn't. Do. It," Jia burst out. "I had nothing to do with it. I didn't even know she was missing until Baldy contacted you guys."

Suddenly, a knowing look came over her face. She smiled an understanding smile and narrowed her eyes.

"Baldy isn't talking, is he?" she asked. She didn't wait for a response. "Because if he was, you wouldn't be in here asking me about Ahsoka. Because somewhere in your confused mind, you know I had nothing to do with her disappearance."

Anakin took a step away from her and triumph radiated off of Jia. Then she softened her gaze.

"I know you're going to do anything to get Ahsoka back," she said. "Trust me, I do. And I'm going to help you if you'll let me."

"How can you help?" Anakin muttered.

"Stick me in the same room as Baldy," Jia said. "It'll only take about twenty minutes. Stick me in there with a weapon, it'll take two."

"No way you're going in there," Anakin snapped.

"Trust me," Jia almost-begged. Her blue eyes were bright, wanting him to understand. Anakin looked torn.

"Fine," he said with a sigh. Jia looked thoughtful.

"I'll need a gun," she said quietly.

"No," Anakin said decisively.

"This won't work if I don't have a gun," Jia said in a firmer voice. She sighed when Anakin didn't budge. "I won't shoot anybody, I promise."

Anakin let out a groan and Jia knew she had won.

"Thanks." Anakin just glared at her and then left. Rex returned a couple minutes later and handed her one of his pistols.

"I want it back," he muttered.

"Don't worry," Jia said as she loaded and readied it. "I know what it's like to become attached to a weapon. I've had to go three months without my knife. _Three months!_"

Rex smiled a little in amusement. He led Jia down the hall to another interrogation room where Boba was sitting, looking thoroughly bored. He expected her to walk into the room, so he was shocked when she shot the control panel. The ray shield disappeared and Boba's bored look disappeared as he watched with interest. Jia held out her hand to one of the two clones standing guard.

"I need the remote," she said.

"What remote?" the clone asked gruffly.

"The one you use as back-up if the control panel is ever fried," Jia said, raising an eyebrow knowingly. The clone remained still for a moment, but at Rex's nod, he handed her the remote grudgingly. Jia smirked. "Thanks."

She walked into the interrogation room and reactivated the ray shield. She smiled at the camera that had been placed in a corner of the room and then shot the remote.

"What's she doing?" Anakin asked in shock from where he was watching it on the screen.

"Looks like she's locking herself in," a clone observed.

"That's not what she's doing," Fives said quietly. Everyone turned to look at him. "She's locking us out."

Rex stared in shock at the girl.

"What are you doing?" he asked her. She just turned her smile on him and made a motion with her hand that indicated he and the others leave. Rex sighed and jerked his head to the side, silently telling the two clones standing guard to come with him.

Jia waited until they were gone and then pulled up a chair across from Boba. She tucked the gun into her waistband at the small of her back and sat down in the chair backwards.

"So they sent you to question me?" Boba asked with a snort.

"Nope," Jia said, resting her head on her arms and looking at him. "I sent myself."

"To question me?" Boba repeated.

"To talk," Jia corrected.

"About what?" Boba asked.

"I don't know," Jia said with a shrug. "Anything. What's your favorite color?"

Boba looked at her like she was crazy and then returned her shrug.

"Ummm, green."

"Mine's blue," Jia said. "Why do you like green?"

"I don't know," Boba said. "Why do you like blue?"

"It's the color of my mama's eyes," Jia said.

"It's the color of your eyes, too," Boba pointed out.

"You're right," Jia said. "But that's not why I like blue. My next favorite color is green."

"Why?" now Boba was honestly curious.

"It's the color of my sister's eyes," Jia said. She sighed. "And my daddy's."

"Daddy," Boba repeated with a snort, and Jia narrowed her eyes at him.

"What did you call your dad by?" she asked him. Then she continued in a British accent. "Father?"

"No, I called him dad," Boba snapped. Jia blinked.

"Oooh, touchy," she said. She sighed again. "You know, you could have just killed me. It would have hurt the Jedi more than death. And then you wouldn't be in here."

"You said the Jedi didn't like you," Boba said suspiciously.

"Of course I did," Jia said in a 'duh' tone. "I was trying to stop you from setting the trap. I figured if you thought they didn't care about me, you would think the meeting a waste of time and call it off."

"You were wrong," Boba pointed out.

"Thanks for the news flash," Jia muttered.

"So, why would you do that for the Jedi?" Boba asked. Jia's eyes became sad.

"My dad would have wanted me to," she said quietly.

"Your dad would have wanted you to?" Boba repeated incredulously.

"Yes," Jia said. "Haven't you ever done anything because your dad would have done it or wanted you to do it?"

Boba didn't answer and Jia continued.

"I know my dad wouldn't be proud of me, though," she said sadly.

"Why's that?" Boba asked, curious again.

"My dad died fighting for something he believed in," Jia said quietly. Everyone was silent around the screen now, listening with interest. Jia had never before spoken about her past. "And then I turned around and started killing for the thing he had died for. He would have been so sad if he knew what I had done. He once told me the difference between a real soldier and a terrorist is that a terrorist would kill to protect his right. A real soldier would die to protect someone else's. I became exactly what my dad had been fighting, just so I could feel like revenge had been served. Trust me, I know what it's like to want revenge."

"What was it like, killing the man who killed your dad?" Boba asked. Jia looked down at the floor.

"I wish every single day I hadn't done it," she said.

"But, he killed you dad," Boba said, sounding as if he didn't understand why Jia regretted getting revenge. And maybe he didn't.

"You're right. And at first I did feel better, but then as I thought about it, I realized my dad would have been heart-broken if he had known what I had done," Jia said. "And that made it not worth it."

She sighed and looked at Boba.

"A lot of the things I've done would have disappointed my dad," she said quietly. "What about you? Ever done anything you know your dad wouldn't approve of?"

"No," Boba said sharply. Jia raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, come on," she said. "Even if he was a bounty hunter he had to have had some sort of values and ethics or _something_."

Boba's jaw locked and his eyes flashed angrily. And Jia knew she had hit a button. Now all she had to do was push it correctly and he would answer any question she asked. She stood up and turned her back on Boba.

"You want to know what it's like to be the hand of justice?" she asked. "Want to know what it feels like when revenge is finally served?"

She turned back around and threw the gun across the table at him. She nodded at the gun.

"Then go ahead," she said. "Pull that damn trigger."

* * *

_Finally got to this chapter. I've been planning it out forever. "The difference between a real soldier and a terrorist is that a terrorist would kill to protect his right. A real soldier would die to protect someone else's" belongs to Leverage. Jia belongs to me. Everything else belongs to George Lucas._


	28. Daddy's Little Girl Pt 2

**Daddy's Little Girl**

**(Part 2)**

_Previously:_

"_How long have I been out?" she asked hoarsely._

"_Two and a half days," Kix said, turning his back on her and doing something. "Although, some of that is because I kept you unconscious knowing you would try to start running around as soon as you woke up." _

_###_

"_What?" she asked._

"_Some said that we should have left you there," he said._

"_Do you think that?" Jia asked him quietly. Kix started looking even more uncomfortable and Jia smiled._

"_It's 'kay," she said. "I would have left me there, too."_

_###_

_Jia smiled a little, and then rolled over onto her other side, taking Kix's hand and holding it to her chest. She fell asleep curled up, holding his hand, much like she had used to when she was little and her father would tuck her in to bed._

_###_

"_Fives, where is Echo?" she asked, almost fearing the response._

"_Blown up," Fives was barely able to get out before he broke down again._

_###_

"_You're not my friend," he repeated, still furious._

"_Good," Jia hissed, "because you're not mine."_

_###_

"_So, who's gonna be interrogating me?" she asked._

"_General Skywalker would like to," Rex muttered. Jia paused at that. _

"_He's really angry at me, isn't he?" she inquired, holding Rex in place with her gaze._

"_Furious," Rex admitted with a sigh._

_###_

"_Ahsoka is like family to me," they heard Jia say. Anakin stiffened at that._

"_You say she is like family and yet it's your fault she's gone," he said in a low voice._

"_I. Didn't. Do. It," Jia burst out. "I had nothing to do with it. I didn't even know she was missing until Baldy contacted you guys."_

_###_

_Rex returned a couple minutes later and handed her one of his pistols. _

"_I want it back," he muttered._

_###_

"_What's she doing?" Anakin asked in shock from where he was watching it on the screen. _

"_Looks like she's locking herself in," a clone observed. _

"_That's not what she's doing," Fives said quietly. Everyone turned to look at him. "She's locking us out."_

_###_

"_My dad died fighting for something he believed in," Jia said quietly. Everyone was silent around the screen now, listening with interest. Jia had never before spoken about her past. "And then I turned around and started killing for the thing he had died for. He would have been so sad if he knew what I had done. He once told me the difference between a real soldier and a terrorist is that a terrorist would kill to protect his right. A real soldier would die to protect someone else's. I became exactly what my dad had been fighting, just so I could feel like revenge had been served. Trust me, I know what it's like to want revenge."_

_###_

_Boba's jaw locked and his eyes flashed angrily. And Jia knew she had hit a button. Now all she had to do was push it correctly and he would answer any question she asked. She stood up and turned her back on Boba._

"_You want to know what it's like to be the hand of justice?" she asked. "Want to know what it feels like when revenge is finally served?" _

_She turned back around and threw the gun across the table at him. She nodded at the gun._

"_Then go ahead," she said. "Pull that damn trigger."_

* * *

"What the _hell_ is she doing?" Anakin hissed. He moved away from the screen, intent on rescuing Jia from her self-appointed death.

"No, wait," Fives said. He nodded to the screen. "The bounty hunter hasn't picked up the gun yet. Hasn't even touched it."

Boba looked down at the gun and then back up at Jia.

"You're willing to die, so I don't kill the Jedi?" he asked her incredulously.

"Does that surprise you?" Jia shot back. Boba looked back down at the gun and then picked it up. He turned it over and over in his hands and then took aim. Jia stayed calm and still, keeping her eyes on Boba the entire time. And then he threw the gun to the side.

"It's not worth it," he muttered. Jia wisely kept her mouth shut. She slid back into the chair and resumed her previous position.

"So, can you tell me where Ahsoka is?" she asked finally. The two of them seemed to have come to a form of understanding, both knowing what it was like to feel the pull of revenge.

"Crag Writ," Boba finally said. Jia froze.

"Why did he kidnap her?" she asked in a tight voice.

"To replace all the money _you_ stole from him," Boba said, sounding somewhat smug. "He plans on selling her off to some slave trader. Gonna get good money."

"How did he find out," Jia asked, just barely managing to keep her voice under control.

"You're not the only who has connections," Boba pointed out. That was Jia's breaking point. She leapt out of the chair and kicked it to the side. Her face was livid, her eyes nearly black and her lips pulled back in something that looked to be her version of a snarl.

"Crag Writ is a _hit man_, not a slave trader," Jia almost-yelled. "He's not gonna sell her. He's gonna kill her."

Boba just shrugged. Jia was on his side of the table and was yanking him out of his chair before he could understand what was happening. She shoved him roughly up against the wall.

"I want a location," she hissed.

"You know where his vault is," Boba snapped.

"Yeah, his vault. All good hit men keep their vault and their prison separated," Jia said. "I want the location. _Now_."

They stared each other down for a few minutes before Boba gave in.

"It's somewhere on Aar," he said with a sigh. "That's all he would tell me."

Jia narrowed her eyes at him, and then released him.

"Thank you," she said sarcastically. She picked up the gun and turned to leave before she remembered she had locked herself in. "Crap."

"That's right," Boba smirked. "You're stuck in here just like me."

Jia sighed and was about to sit down when the tip of a lightsaber cut a nice, neat circle in the wall. She saw Boba poise to leap, and quickly knocked him unconscious with one, well-aimed punch to his jugular. The circle fell away and Jia stepped through it.

"Thank you," she sighed. "He was really starting to get on my nerves."

Anakin remained silent, not saying anything the entire walk back to the medbay. Jia ignored him, and then locked him out of the medbay before he could do anything. She looked around the darkened room and then collapsed onto the bed. As much as she wanted to start the search, she needed to rest.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Anakin snapped. Jia regarded him coolly.

"I got the information you needed," she said calmly.

"You gave him the chance to shoot you," Anakin said, trying to become as calm and collected as Jia was.

"And yet he didn't," Jia pointed out.

"You expected him to shoot you, didn't you?" Anakin asked with a sigh.

"No, I didn't," Jia said. "The most efficient way to get information from someone is to push the buttons you need to. His button was killing the one person he felt he had a connection with. He couldn't do it."

"_A connection?"_ Anakin spluttered.

"He feels we have some sort of understanding and comradery now because we have both lost our fathers and we have both wanted revenge," Jia explained with a sigh. "He also sees me on some kind of higher level because I actually accomplished what he has been trying to do for years."

"How do you know this?" Anakin asked curiously.

"It's how the human brain works," Jia said. "It's very easy for you to see me as a killer because you have seen inside my mind. But, if you just met me and didn't know anything about me, would you think me a killer?"

Anakin was thrown for a loop and it took him a moment to gather his thoughts before he could reply.

"No," he admitted finally. Jia smiled at him and turned to leave. "We never finished your interrogation," Anakin reminded her.

"Do you need to?" Jia sighed. "You've got the information you need."

"I guess not," Anakin mumbled. Jia was amused. She could tell he would love nothing more than to force her to spill all her secrets, as furious as he was with her at the moment.

She walked quietly down to the gym, ready to get back to her self-training, when someone stepped in front of her, forcing her to abruptly stop. She looked up and saw Rex with his arms crossed.

"Yes?" she asked pleasantly. Rex jerked his head to side and Jia followed him into an empty room.

"Why did you do that? Risk having the bounty hunter shoot you just so you could get coordinates and a name?" Rex asked her in a low voice.

"Coordinates and a name is a really good lead when searching for someone you has been kidnapped," Jia told him, avoiding his actual question. The fact did not go unnoticed by Rex, but he decided not to push it.

"So where can I start looking?" he asked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa; hold up," Jia said. "What do you mean _I_? I think what you meant to say is _we_."

"Fine. Where do _we_ start looking?" Rex repeated his question. Jia shrugged.

"We put together a team, break out of here, go to Coruscant, search the Underworld or whatever it is, probably break a few laws, commit grand theft auto, maybe assault, get some more info on where Ahsoka is, if she is there, rescue her, if she isn't, move forward with the info we've got," Jia said, ticking the events off on her fingers as she spoke.

"You're talking about going AWOL," Rex muttered. "I can't do that."

"So we don't go AWOL," Jia said with another shrug. "We just kindly ask permission."

"General Skywalker isn't going to give us permission," Rex hissed through clenched teeth.

"I think he will," Jia said, smirking. Rex looked at her, suddenly suspicious.

"What did you do?" he asked with a sigh.

"Learned what he keeps disappearing to whenever you guys are back on Coruscant," Jia said. "But I can't tell you. It's a, ah, personal…. matter."

"Now you're talking about blackmailing my CO," Rex pointed out. "I'll probably get in just as much trouble."

"_You're_ not going to blackmail him," Jia said with a roll of her eyes. She refrained from adding in a name. "_I_ am. I'll just request to have you, Cody, and a selection of clone troopers come along for the ride."

"Generals Skywalker and Kenobi are never going to go for it," Rex argued.

"I think they will," Jia said with a small smile. The type of smile she got when she was planning her next job. "I think they will do _exactly_ what I want them to."

* * *

Anakin and Jia stood next to each other, staring out the viewport. One was watching the stars, and trying to figure out how the other's brain worked, the other was thinking about what they could have done to prevent so many deaths of the ones they cared about.

"Was it all true?" Anakin finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Was what true?" Jia murmured, still lost in replaying many of the moments where she could have done something but hadn't.

"About your dad," Anakin explained.

"Most of it," Jia said carefully. Wanting a better answer, Anakin reached out through the Force, trying to see what she was thinking. Jia laughed, startling him. "That won't work. It's part of our training to create mental barriers. You can only enter when I let you."

Anakin withdrew from her mind, looking like he had been caught by a parent while stealing candy. Jia laughed again and held out her hand to him.

"I'll let you see what parts of it were real," she said. Anakin hesitantly placed his hand in her, and she laced her fingers through his. He was immediately assaulted by many, many images, and it took a moment before they formed into a picture, and then into a memory.

* * *

_A little girl sat on her father's lap, her mother sitting next to them._

"_We have something to tell you," her father said. The little girl turned big blue eyes on him, her loosely-curly, shoulder-length hair moving as she turned and shimmering gold in the dim, warm light of the room they were sitting in. A few freckles trailed across her cheeks and over the bridge of her nose. She wore a light fluttery dress and gold, sparkly sandals._

_She looked so innocent and pure, it took Anakin a minute to realize it was a younger Jia. Her eyes were a pale, early-morning sky blue, not the deep, rich blue they were now. Her skin was paler than the warm color it was now; and it was unblemished and unmarked, no scars decorating her fair skin. _

Looking at her, Anakin could hardly believe this was the same tough, hard-core assassin girl that had betrayed him. He knew he was probably watching one of the last shreds of innocence locked away somewhere in her broken heart.

"_You look sad," the six-year-old Jia said to her father. "What's wrong?"_

"_Me and Daddy have to leave for a little while, mihijita," her mom said in soft, musical, gentle voice. Anakin studied her, looking back and forth between her and Jia. She had dark brown curly hair and pale, pale blue eyes. Her skin was darker than seventeen-year-old Jia's; more like a light coffee than a light caramel. _

"_Can I come?" Jia asked._

"_No, Monkey," her dad said, calling her by his nickname._

"_Why not?" Jia asked, her brow furrowing together in confusion and hurt._

"_Because we are going to fight," her mom said in the same gentle voice._

"_I can fight," Jia said, her face set in a stubborn scowl, looking incredibly a lot like her older self. _

"_Not with us," her dad told her._

"_Please?" Jia begged._

"_I'm sorry, mihijita, but you can't come," her mom said firmly. Tears started streaming down the little girl's face, and Anakin swore he saw her eyes get the tiniest shade darker._

* * *

The scene dissolved and was quickly replaced by another memory.

* * *

_The little girl stood next to three suitcases that seemed huge compared to her. Her gold hair was pulled back into two braids that hung down her back and she wore a camouflaged skirt and a brown halter-top with black leather boots. Tears dribbled down her face and she was clutching a teddy bear tightly to her body. Two elderly people stood behind her, sad looks on their faces. The girl's parents stood in front of her, dark green duffle bags at their feet, dressed in what Anakin recognized as their uniforms. _

"_I don't want to stay," Jia said fiercely._

"_You can't come," her dad said gently._

"_Then don't go," Jia cried. Her mom crouched down and pulled her into a hug and her dad reached down and took on of Jia's tiny hands in his own. They stayed like that for many minutes and then her mom stood up._

"_We have to go now," she said quietly._

"_No," Jia cried. She started to run forward, intent on following her parents, but the old man caught her and picked her up, holding her tightly against him._

"_No," Jia repeated, shrieking it this time. She twisted and turned, struggling to escape from the elderly man's arms. She kicked at him and he released her. She twisted herself in midair and landed in a crouch, much like her older self did when fighting, although she lost her balance for a couple seconds. _

_As soon as she regained her footing, she was off, chasing after her parents. The man recovered from her kick and took off after her. Jia wove expertly through the crowds of people, using her smaller size to her advantage._

"_Mama, Daddy," she called, "don't go."_

_Some people turned to look at her, but then turned back to whatever they were doing. Most people paid no mind to the little girl pushing past them, desperately trying to get her parents._

_The old man caught up with her just as she got to the edge of the crowd. He swooped down and picked her up again. Jia struggled again, but they were weaker this time. She was getting tired. In one last attempt to get to her parents, Jia turned and bit down on the man's hand. He cursed but didn't let her go._

"_Mama!" Jia cried. "Daddy!"_

_She knew they couldn't hear her though. She knew they wouldn't turn around and come back to her. She knew that they would keep walking up onto the airplane._

"_Daddy," Jia tried one last time. Her dad always answered her. He would always stop what he was doing so he could give her his full attention. But not this time. Jia's voice was quiet as she said, "Don't go, Daddy. Don't go."_

* * *

The scene dissolved again and another memory came into play.

* * *

_Jia sat on a playground in the shade of a tree, holding the teddy bear close and resting her head on it. She just sat there, staring at the ground, pining for her parents. Anakin could tell she was older in this memory, eight maybe. Her skin was slightly darker than in the last two memories, but still paler than its current color. Her eyes, though, had changed dramatically. They were almost the exact same color they were now, maybe a shade or two off. The freckles had faded some, but were still visible._

_A commotion on the other side of the playground made Jia look up. A boy about her age was flinching away from a woman who Jia assumed was his mother. Jia narrowed her eyes as she watched, and she didn't miss when the boy was hit. She tipped her head to the side as she watched, her sharp eyes catching everything. The boy looked so scared, that Jia decided to help. Her parents would have wanted her to, especially her dad._

_She got up off the bench and jogged over to the boy and his mom, slowing as she approached._

"_You little son of a bitch," she heard the lady shriek at the boy. "You're just like your father, that bastard!"_

_As she got closer, Jia was able to see the lady had many tattoos covering the skin that wasn't covered by the skimpy clothes she wore. Jia also saw the lady had too much make-up caked onto her face and too much jewelry on._

_The boy started to cry and the lady rolled her eyes and let out a noisy sigh._

"_Stop that cryin', there ain't nothin' to cry about," she snapped. That just made the boy cry harder. The lady raised her hand to hit him again, but Jia stepped in front of the boy, intercepting the blow. She let out a yelp of pain as one of the lady's rings caught her across the cheek. _

_The lady blinked in shock as she realized the kid she had hit wasn't her own. "Move out of the way," she shrieked. Jia just remained standing stubbornly where she was, holding the teddy bear to her chest. The lady glared at Jia for a moment, and then stormed off._

"_Fine, you can have him. The little bastard," she called as she walked away. Jia watched to make sure she really was walking away and then turned to the boy. They stared at each other for a little bit, and then Jia decided to break the silence by saying her name._

"_Sasha."_

"_Camryn," the boy said after a delay of many seconds. Jia nodded once and then took the boy's hand in hers. She couldn't take him to her house, her grandparents would have a fit. But she could take him to the police station. Maybe they could help._

_They walked in silence, Jia holding the teddy bear and the boy holding her hand. The silence was nice, Jia thought, in the loud traffic and hustle of the city. They got many strange looks from passer-bys, and she could guess why. Two kids walking down the sidewalk by themselves holding hands was not something that was seen everyday._

_Eventually they came to the police station. As soon as the boy saw it, he started to pull away, but Jia kept a firm grip on him, pulling him through the front door of the station. The man behind the counter looked at her._

"_How can I help you?" he asked in a bored tone. Jia didn't answer verbally, instead she stepped back and pushed the boy forwards. The officer leaned over the counter, his eyes widening at the old and new bruises on the boy's face and neck._

"_What happened?" he asked._

"_His mom hit him," Jia said simply. The man looked at her, his eyes falling on the dark bruise on her cheek. _

"_And you?" he asked._

"_His mom hit me," she said. The man nodded and then put a hand on the boy's shoulder._

"_I'll take care of him," he said. Jia nodded and turned to leave, her teddy bear tucked under one arm. As she got to the door, she paused, turned around, and walked back to the boy. Wordlessly, she held out the teddy bear to him. He took it hesitantly, looking at her curiously._

"_My daddy gave it to me before he left to fight," she said quietly. "He told me that as long as I had it, my guardian angel would watch over me. But you need my guardian angel more than me."_

_The boy stared at her, and then nodded once. Jia nodded back, and then gave a hesitant smile. The boy returned the smile. Jia turned back to the door, the smile still on her face. Her daddy would have been proud._

* * *

Another memory flew into place, this one not as dramatic as the others.

* * *

_A ten-year-old Jia sat on a porch swing on the back porch of a house in what was obviously a desert. Her hair was longer and the freckles had all but disappeared. Her eyes seemed to be a little paler, too. A little girl sat next to her. She had curls just like Jia's mom, except they were golden, and sparkling blue eyes, just like Jia. She wore a pink, poufy dress and was looking incredibly excited about something Jia was holding in her hands._

"_I think that's Cinderella," Jia was saying, pointing at an area of the thing she was holding._

"_No," the little girl crowed. "That's a pumpkin."_

"_No, it's not," Jia argued. "That's Cinderella. See? There's the shoes and the dress and the hair…"_

_The little girl shrieked with laughter and Jia broke off, laughing as well. Both girls eventually quieted and stared up at the darkening sky._

"_Where's Tia Sophia?" the little girl asked._

"_I told you, Mama is fighting far away," Jia sighed._

"_And Uncle Paul," the girl asked._

"_He's fighting, too," Jia said._

"_Oh," was all the little girl said. Then Jia hopped up, all smiles again._

"_Come on, Lavi," she said, pulling the little girl up with her. "Time for bed. Your mama's gonna kill me if you're up too late."_

"_That would be bad," Lavi giggled. Jia grinned at the little girl and then led her into the house. She brushed out Lavi's curly hair, helped the girl into her pajamas, and then tucked her into the tiny, little bed. She was about to leave when Lavi called her back. "Can you sing?"_

"_Of course," Jia smiled. "What song?"_

"_On The Loose and Magic," Lavi said after a moment's thought. Jia nodded._

"On the loose to climb a mountain, on the loose where I am free.  
On the loose to live my life the way I think my life should be.  
For I've only got a moment, and the whole world yet to see,  
while I'm living out here on the loose.

Have you ever watched the sunrise turn the sky completely red?  
Have you slept beneath the moon and stars, a pine bough for your bed?  
Did you sit and talk with friends, though a word was never said?  
Then you're like me and you've been on the loose.

There's a trail that I'll be hiking, just to see where it might go.  
Many places yet to visit, many people yet to know.  
For in following my dreams, I will and I will grow;  
While I'm living out here on the loose.

So in search of love and laughter, I am traveling 'cross this land.  
Never sure of where I'm going for I haven't got a plan.  
So in time when you are ready, come and join me, take my hand.  
And together we'll share life out on the loose.

On this road that I am traveling, I will think of you this way.  
In remembering your smile, for it seems like yesterday.  
When we slept beneath the stars, and when we dreamed about this day.  
And now we're living out here on the loose.

Do the trees in the forest, make you sit, and think of love?  
Does it take you twenty times or more to count the stars above?  
I am here now and I like it, and the hours melt away.  
And if I want, I'll stay another day.

As I sit and watch the sunset, and the daylight softly fades,  
I am thinking of tomorrow and the friendships we have made.  
I will value them for always, and I hope you'll do the same.  
And forever we'll explore life on the loose.

Now the moon is softly glowing, and the stars are twinkling bright.  
Our laughter and our friendship has cleared this cloudy night.  
Come and join our flickering campfire, come and sing our happy songs.  
And together we'll share life out on the loose.

On the loose to climb a mountain, on the loose where I am free.  
On the loose to live my life the way I think my life should be.  
For I've only got a moment, and the whole world yet to see,  
while I'm living out here on the loose."

"_I like that song," Lavi murmured sleepily._

"_Daddy taught it to me," Jia said softly. Lavi smiled a small smile as she thought of her crazy uncle._

"_Sing more," she commanded after a moment. Jia laughed._

"When I was young I thought the stars were made for wishing on.  
And every whole inside a tree would hide a leprechaun.  
And houses all had secret rooms if one could find the door.  
But who believes in magic anymore?

Magic is the sun that makes the rainbow out of rain,  
and magic keeps the dream alive to try and try again.  
Magic is the love that stays when good friends have to leave.  
I do believe in magic, I believe.

When I grew up the grown-ups said one day I'd wake to find,  
that magic was a childish game I'd have to leave behind.  
Like clothes that would no longer fit, or toys that I'd ignore.  
I'd not believe in magic anymore.

Magic is the sun that makes the rainbow out of rain,  
and magic keeps the dream alive to try and try again.  
Magic is the love that stays when good friends have to leave.  
I do believe in magic, I believe.

A child, a friend, a smile, a song,  
the courage to stand tall.  
And love's the greatest magic  
of them all.

Magic is the sun that makes the rainbow out of rain,  
and magic keeps the dream alive to try and try again.  
Magic is the love that stays when good friends have to leave.  
I do believe in magic, I believe."

"_What does it mean?" Lavi managed to ask as she drifted off to sleep._

"_That I love you," Jia said, stretching out next to her cousin._

"_What about Tia Sophia and Uncle Paul?" Lavi asked._

"_They love you, too," Jia said, smiling a little._

"_I was asking if it meant that they loved you," Lavi explained, and then she fell asleep._

"_I think so," Jia whispered. "But they did leave me."_

* * *

"_Daddy, who are the people you go to fight?" Jia asked as she watched TV with her dad. They were both eating pizza and drinking Mountain Dew._

"_Terrorists," her dad answered, taking a bite._

"_What's the difference between terrorists and soldiers?" Jia asked. "I mean, you both go and fight each other, and throw bombs at each other, and shoot each other."_

_Her dad chuckled at her simple, thirteen-year-old view of things._

"_The difference is that the terrorists kill to protect their rights. A soldier dies to protect someone else's," he said._

"_You're not going to die, are you?" Jia asked worriedly. Her dad laughed again._

"_Of course not."_

* * *

The memories started speeding up now, not as much of a lull between them, and them being shorter.

* * *

_There was a knock on a door Jia got up and slowly walked to the front door, not feeling up for doing much. It surprised her to see a man dressed in a black suit standing on her front porch. She opened the door._

"_Hello?" she asked._

"_Hi, I'm Chaplain Major Paul Doe. Are you Jiana Sasha White?" he asked._

"_Uhh, yeah, err, yes sir," Jia said, quickly remembering her manners. "Would you like to come in?"_

"_Yes, please," the chaplain said. Jia stepped back, allowing him to enter the house. She followed him into the living room and shut off the TV._

"_Would you like some water or something?" she asked._

"_Yes, some water would be nice," the chaplain said, smiling gratefully. Jia led him into the kitchen and filled a glass of water for him. She handed it to him and then sat down at the bar next to him._

"_So, is there any specific reason you're here, or did my parents just make you stop by for a visit?" she asked him._

"_Are these your parents?" Chaplain Paul asked, ignoring her question. He slid two pictures over to her._

"_Yes," Jia said, staring longingly at the pictures. She couldn't wait for her parents to get home. "Why?"_

_When the chaplain didn't answer, Jia looked up at him. As soon as she saw the look on his face, she knew what had happened._

"_My parents are dead?"_

* * *

_A man stood behind Jia, gripping her shoulders tightly. In front of the two them stood two boys. Anakin recognized them as Red and Eagle._

"_This is Archangel, your new team member," the man said. Eagle looked Jia over with a critical eye, while Red shot Jia a goofy grin, his teeth gleaming against his dark skin._

"_What's her excuse?" Eagle finally asked._

"_Killing the people who killed her family to protect her siblings," the man said, his grip tightening slightly on Jia. She locked her jaw, but showed no other indication of being in pain. Eagle finally nodded and the man released Jia and walked away. Jia started to enter the room that would serve as her second home for the next long while, but Eagle stuck out his arm, blocking._

"_One screw-up," he warned in a hiss. "One pause, one shred of mercy, you're out. We all joined for our own reasons, and we all got a job to do. Am I clear?"_

_Jia tipped her head to the side and gave him her narrowed-eyes scrutiny. Her lip twisted up into a mocking smile._

"_Crystal."_

* * *

_Jia sat on a roof, over-looking a city, Red at her side._

"_He came back drunk again," she commented to Red, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her cheek on her knees._

"_He does that a lot. You'll get used to it," Red comforted._

"_It's not good for us working as a team," Jia said. "If he loses it one day, he could get himself and the rest of us caught."_

"_He won't lose it," Red defended their team leader. "It's against our training."_

"_Sometimes we can't always control what happens as much as we would like to," Jia said, her feeling entering her voice. Red looked at her curiously._

"_That has a deeper meaning than just you being worried what might happen if Eagle gets caught," he said. Jia just sighed and continued staring out across the city. Red didn't let it go, though. "So, what was it?"_

"_Nothing," Jia ground out. _

"_Aww, come on, babygirl," Red said. He nudged Jia playfully with his shoulder. "You know I need a better answer than that."_

"_You want a better answer," Jia corrected. "There's a difference."_

_Red tried a different tactic. He put on his best puppy-dog face and stared Jia in the eye._

"_Please?"_

_She sighed again and gave in._

"_My parents were killed overseas," she said curtly. _

"_That's it?" Red asked. "Nothing else?"_

"_That's all I'm saying," Jia snapped. Red knew to back off. After a while, Jia broke the silence. "He doesn't like me much, does he?"_

"_Who?" Red asked, playing dumb._

"_Eagle," Jia elaborated, rolling her eyes._

"_Nope, not really," Red said, his goofy grin slowly creeping onto his face. Jia couldn't help but grin back. _

* * *

_Jia stood in a dark dress, Kayla and Gavin and many other people standing with her. Two coffins were in front of them. The pain and hurt was evident on their faces, Anakin didn't need to feel it in the memory. But he did. It ripped through him and ripped him apart. He felt as if nothing would ever be right again, like he would never be able to smile. It took him a moment that was how Jia felt whenever she remembered this moment. And then six shots rang out, each one feeling like it had torn right through his heart and gotten stuck there._

* * *

A/N: "_Tia Sophia" and "Uncle Paul" are Jia's parents. "Tia" is the Spanish word for "aunt," just to clear up any confusion surrounding that. Also, from earlier chapters, the custom of kissing people's cheeks comes from Puerto Rico. Jia and her blood family are mixed heritage, obviously. How Jia explains to Anakin how the human brain works, that's true. I didn't just make that up to sound smart. More Red and Eagle, although it's mostly Red. The old people are Jia's grandparents, not just some creepy old people taking her away from her parents. George Lucas owns Star Wars. I own Jia._


	29. The Joker And The Thief

**The Joker And The Thief**

The mental barriers snapped back into place and Anakin was forced out of her mind. Jia released his hand and resumed staring into space.

"So it was all true," Anakin murmured.

"Yup," Jia said. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She hadn't felt like pulling it back, which was unusual, so it hung limply down the sides of her face. "And now you know why I don't like to talk about it."

"Eagle didn't like you very much at first," Anakin observed thoughtfully. Jia let out a harsh laugh.

"Red was the only one who ever truly accepted me as an assassin. Wolffe saw someone he wanted to use as a tool in his own personal war. Eagle saw a teenage girl who needed protecting and defending. I don't know what Willow saw, but I'm betting it was an older sister driven to extremes. Swirl, well, she's come as close to accepting me as anyone has, besides Red. And her brother, T; I don't think he trusts me," Jia said, running through everyone she had had contact (besides Willow) with. It was rare she knew so many other people who worked under Wolffe.

"Anyone else?" Anakin asked.

"Usually the teams were separated. I wouldn't be able to know if someone worked under Wolffe even if they were sitting right next to me. That was the use of the mark on our shoulders. If we ran into one another, and for whatever reason, they tried to kill us; the mark was our protection against them. It proved we were their ally for the time being," Jia explained.

"What about the Mossad people?" Anakin asked, remembering the memory of Jia's Ahsoka had shown him.

"Oh, they just didn't like us," Jia said, letting out another cold laugh.

"Why?" now Anakin was truly intrigued.

"Wolffe killed one of their agents. He claims it was an accident, but I did some digging, helped by Red, and the agent he killed was his ex-girlfriend. Them being together was part of her cover, so as soon as her mission was over, she dumped him and headed back to Israel. To make it worse, Wolffe then ordered us to kill any Mossad agents we happened to cross; just to rub it in their leader's face that he had killed one of his people," Jia said, rocking back on her heels. It surprised how good it felt to explain this to someone without having to suffer any consequences. Even if Anakin didn't exactly like her, and even if he didn't exactly understand half of what she was saying.

"Did you?" Anakin asked her, turning to look at her.

"Did I what?" Jia shot back, confused.

"Kill any of the agents you came across. You did get taken to their prison camp," he pointed out.

"Oh, that was a trap. It had originally been set for T and Swirl, pretty much to rub it in _their_ faces that Willow had been killed by Mossad. Their intel was a little off and instead of two very-seasoned operatives falling into the trap they could've gotten out of, a team of three teenagers fell into the trap, and two escaped," Jia said. The words were coming faster now, everything spilling out of her as she told everything to someone who would listen without judging. Well, excessively judging. "I was tortured, interrogated, starved, beaten, pretty much everything you could think off. Except they didn't burn me. I guess I can be grateful for that. But I had to deal with a month of that. Everyday. Hours on end. Nighttime was a relief. They would let me sleep for about four hours before continuing. Sometimes they wouldn't.

"And then Swirl came with her mother, her brother, and my team to rescue me. She told me about Willow. She explained why she was there. On the flight back to my country, Eagle explained how he had always loved me. I told him I loved him. We go back, Wolffe was pissed. We went to kill the terrorist he said had killed part of my family. The terrorist found out. He used my brother and sister as a bomb and…." Jia trailed off as she realized something. She felt like an idiot, not having noticed it before.

"What?" Anakin asked warily.

"Oh my God, I just realized. The terrorist found out we were there and used _my_ siblings as the bomb. I thought it was just a coincidence, but I remember some of Wolffe's domestic enemies telling me how he was the one who had killed my family. I know for a fact he killed Cody. He could have so easily told the terrorist we were coming and which people were related to me," Jia said, everything suddenly fitting nice and neat, like a puzzle well done. Anakin remained silent, watching her as she thought, almost able to see the thoughts and memories that flew around her head. Her eyes became dark and cloudy, and then cleared suddenly and were bright again. "Hmm," she said. "Now I know why he had so many enemies. He was a liar. And a thief. And… a killer. And… that's all I can think of at the moment."

She paused, gathering her thoughts before continuing where she had left off.

"When Willow was killed was when everything started to change. It didn't really set in for me until I got back to Wolffe. But now that I think about it, everything started slipping when Willow sacrificed herself to save T and Swirl. And then the terrorist killed Kayla and Gavin. And Red and Eagle killed themselves to kill Wolffe….." she trailed off again and heaved a sigh.

"Many people would like to think that if you chop off the head, the creature dies. With groups like Wolffe's, you chop off the head, another one grows back. The creature survives. It never dies. Always to live and kill. Devour people. Granted, they aren't innocent people, but they're still people."

Anakin was silent as he processed what she said. He decided to change the topic off Wolffe.

"What about your team members? Eagle and Red?" he asked. Jia smiled a small smile and her eyes glanced around as she thought.

"Eagle was a rich pretty boy before he joined Wolffe," Jia started. "He was an alcoholic before he joined; and after, even. He was on the road to doing illegal drugs. He says he left because he wasn't happy with his life. I told him killing people wasn't that much better. He says he liked it though."

"Why?" Anakin was as curious about Jia's friends as he was about Jia.

"Because of me," Jia said.

"You?" Anakin raised his eyebrows.

"He loved me," Jia murmured. Then she shook herself and continued. "He was part of the big corporate family in town. And across the county. His real name was Mark Dylan Latimer."

She lapsed into silence again.

"And Red?" Anakin prompted when she didn't say anything. This was probably the longest conversation, not interrogation (not that_ those_ had gotten very far), where Jia was talking about her past _and_ remaining calm.

"Red," Jia said with a sigh. But it wasn't a bad sigh. It was a happy sigh. "Red was part of a gang since he was nine. He started working under Wolffe, doing errands and things, through the gang. He didn't talk much about his life before the gang. He did once mention his nana. I don't know if he was referring to his grandma or a foster parent or who."

"Anything about his gang?" Anakin asked. Jia lifted an eyebrow and held out her hand, wiggling her fingers. Anakin sighed but placed his hand in hers again. He saw Jia smile before her mental barriers were down again.

* * *

_Jia sat, both hands handcuffed to the armrests of a wooden chair. A man in a black jacket sat across from her. A table was in between them, messy stacks of papers and files littering it. A computer was in one corner, the keyboard also cluttered with papers and files. Jia looked annoyed about something._

"_At least let me call my boyfriend. We were supposed to get together tonight. And you know how it can be if he thinks he's been stood up," she said. The man stroked his chin and then pulled a small silver device out of his pocket. Anakin was confused but kept his mouth shut. The man reached over the desk and unlocked one of the handcuffs, and then handed Jia the device. She flipped it open and dialed a number and held it up to her ear. It rang and rang and then someone picked up._

"_I don't recognize this number which means you shouldn't be talking me," a voice growled. Jia smiled at Eagle's typical greeting._

"_Heeeeeey, baby," she said._

"_Whoa, whoa, hold up," Eagle said. "Archangel, is that you?"_

"_You're right," Jia said, her voice rising an octave in fake excitement. _

"_Are you calling me while in character?" Eagle asked, starting to piece everything together. Jia heard Red's voice in the background. _

"_Is that my little babygirl?"_

"_Awww hell, Archangel. What have you done now?" Eagle sighed. _

"_Exactly what you told me not to," Jia said, trying to sound as slutty and flirty as possible._

"_Is little angel on something?" Red asked. Jia figured he was closer to the phone speaker since his voice was louder than before. "She sound all up on something. She ain't high, is she?"_

_Jia thought quickly, trying to figure out how she could tell Eagle and Red all the information they needed to know._

"_Uhh, no I am not cheating on you and I am not high. I haven't been on _**drugs** _for _**at least****six**_ days. And I haven't carried a _**gun**_ in forever," she said, rolling her eyes for effect. Her captor gave a quiet chuckle of amusement. _

"_Girl, don't tell me you went to them drug/arms dealers, now. You know how Eagle said _not to go,"_ Red said, not waiting for Eagle to respond._

"_Damn you, Archangel," Eagle burst out. "Now we have to come rescue you."_

"_Ahh, wait, wait, no we don't got to go rescue her," Red said. Jia pictured him holding up a hand the way he did when he was planning something. _

"_Uhh, yeah, you do," Jia snapped back. She flashed a quick grin at her captor, trying to reassure him she wasn't giving anything away. He seemed to fall for it; he smiled back._

"_Now, we all know Eagle gonna go all sortsa ninja on you if he has to rescue you," Red said. Jia bit her tongue to keep from smiling. "Now, I gots some friends from my old gang I can call. We cans come and rescue you. Eagle don't need to have no part in this."_

"_You would really do that, babe?" Jia asked. She heard a smile in Red's voice when he replied._

"_Hell yeah, baby. Anything for my little angel."_

_Jia was about to tell him off for all the names he kept calling her (not that they were bad), but she quickly remembered the company she was in._

"_Thanks. I promise I'll make it up to you," she made her voice a low purr, and didn't miss the way her captor's eyes flashed._

"_I think I could get use to this rescuin' stuff," Red said with a happy sigh. Jia again had to refrain from smiling. _

"_You better not," she heard Eagle growl before he hung up. Jia was slightly confused by Eagle's reaction. He almost sounded….. protective. Jealous, maybe? She quickly pushed it from her mind and handed her captor back the little silver device. _

"_Thanks for letting me borrow the phone," she said. He smiled._

"_Need anything else?" he asked._

"_Do you have anywhere I can fix my make-up?" Jia asked, rolling her eyes and sounding bored. She held up her purse. Instead of just containing make-up, though, it contained her earbud and her knife._

"_Yeah, follow me," the man said. He unlocked Jia's other cuff and led her down the hall to a dirty bathroom. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and walked in. As soon as the door was closed, she pulled her earbud out and turned it on and stuck it in her ear._

"_I'm on," she whispered, snapping her purse shut. "Anyone else?"_

"_Ehhh, girl," she heard Red. "Okay, so I've got some of my friends. We comin' for ya, baby."_

"_Red," Jia sighed. She pulled out some eyeshadow, deciding to add some make-up, after all. "Easy with the names, bubba."_

"_You know you like it," Red said. Jia had no smartass response to that so she stayed quiet._

"_Where your girlfriend at?" she heard a rough, male voice ask._

"_Red, you better have _not_ told them we were together. Because if you have-," she was cut off by Red._

"_How else was I supposed to get them to come save yo ass?" Red snapped._

"_Yo, who you talkin' to, man?" another voice joined the conversation. Red ignored them._

"_Girl, we comin' for you whether you want us to or not," Red said, seriousness edging into his voice and surprising Jia._

"_Red, I'm out of cuffs and I have a weapon. I can get out," Jia said with another sigh._

"_They Russian," Red said indignantly. "No way in hell you fightin' your way out of that _with a knife_."_

"_I can do it!" Jia insisted._

"_No, you can't," Red snapped. "Eagle has agreed to look over this screw-up because he ain't the one rescuin' you. Now, we are comin' to get you."_

_Jia grumbled but gave in, not in the mood to continue arguing with her friend._

"_Red: six, Archangel: two," Red said. Jia could imagine the smug grin plastered on his face._

"_That's not fair," Jia squeaked out. She heard footsteps coming towards her and whispered. "My new friends have returned. You better come quick. You're not here in fifteen minutes, I'm busting myself out."_

"_Good thing I got some drivin' lessons from you," Red said. Jia was about to make a snappy retort when there was a knock on the door._

"_I'm coming, I'm coming," she said irritably. She opened the door and stepped out. Her captor smiled at her and she forced a smile back. He led her down the hall until they came back to the desk and she sat down in the chair, waiting for him to say something. Instead, he replaced the handcuffs, sat down across from her, and remained silent. Jia gave up on the waiting game. "So, what do you want me to do?"_

"_What do you mean?" the man asked._

"_You kidnapped me for a reason. What do you want me to?" she repeated her question._

"_You claimed to be the best thief in town. You go steal my boss's money," the Russian said. Jia raised an eyebrow._

"_Excuse you?" she squeaked._

"_Are you not all you claim to be?" now the Russian was taunting her. Jia ground her teeth. Her pride was hurt. _

"_Fine," she snapped. "What's the plan?"_

"_You figure it out," the man said. He pushed blueprints across the table to her and she saw it was the layout for a vault. She was automatically able to locate the motion detectors, the vibration sensors, and the video cameras. _

"_It's a Glen Reader, model 88-11, last made in 2009," she tapped the paper. "That'll take at least three minutes to crack. How much time do I have?"_

"_Ten minutes," the Russian said. Jia groaned. And then she heard Red's voice._

"_Girl, you only gotta pretend to break into that vault. We be there in two minutes, tops."_

"_Yeah, well, hopefully, they'll only pretend to kill me," Jia snapped back. _

"_Did you say something?" the Russian asked._

"_Just trying to plan the best way to do this," Jia said, flashing him another smile. Her captor smiled back and leaned back in his chair, watching her carefully. She felt her skin start to crawl, not liking the way he was looking at her. The weight of the knife in her purse offered some comfort, though. After she had the blueprint burned as an image into her brain, she looked up. "I got it."_

_The Russian started to say something, but one of his men cried out something in Russian that Jia was roughly able to translate to "shot." The Russian leapt out of his chair and drew his gun. Red and his friends were faster. The Russian fell and Jia jumped up, only to let out a squeak as the handcuffs cut into her skin and forced her back down into the chair. Red jogged over to the chair and kneeled down next to it, studying the cuffs._

"_Where's the key?" he asked Jia. She blinked the tears out of her eyes and looked down at him, a major delay before she finally comprehended what he has asked._

"_Umm, I don't know. I think it's on one of his goons," she said, rotating her wrists, trying to work the hurt out of them._

"_We don't have time to search everyone," Red muttered. He stood up and looked around, and then bent Jia's head forward._

"_Hey," she protested._

"_Just gettin' a bobby pin," Red said. _

"_I want it back," Jia grumbled. Red released her head and she saw him smiling as he bent down to pick the cuffs._

"_Red, man, come on," one of his "friends" said. Red ignored him._

"_If only you had let me bust myself out," Jia started._

"_Girl, don't you even go there," Red snapped, his dark eyes flashing. Jia blinked in surprise, opened her mouth to continue, but then decided to remain silent. One of the cuffs popped open and Jia breathed a sigh of relief. The blood was already slowing as the cut started to scab over, but she knew she would have to wrap it later. Red finished on the second cuff and Jia successfully jumped up. She grabbed her purse and positioned herself one step behind Red, silently telling him he was in charge. He winked at her and picked up his gun off the desk and led the way back out the way he had come in._

_His friends fell into step around him, forming a perfect protective ring around Jia; it was obvious they had had to do this before. _

_They were halfway down the hallway when some of the sidekicks appeared from behind a door and attacked them. One lunged for Jia and she ducked and then spun around, round-house kicking the man. He fell against the wall with a grunt and she kicked him again. _

"'_Angel," Red called. He tossed her his back-up gun and she caught it, mid-spin. She finished her turn and shot the man twice. He slumped down the wall, and she delicately stepped over him. Red was looking at her with a raised eyebrow._

"_Double-tap in the heart, through-and-through," he gave a silent breath of laughter. "Nice."_

_Jia smirked and handed him the gun as she stalked past him._

"_I call lead," she said over her shoulder. Red chuckled and fell into step on her right side. _

"_Hey, so, you need to act like you're my girl," Red said quietly in her ear. His voice was magnified by the earbud. Jia sighed and made a face at Red, but gave a miniscule nod of agreement. They made it outside and Jia saw that there was a thick cloud cover. Her internal body clock told her it was around four-thirty, but it felt like it was later._

_They walked down the road and then turned down a tiny trail that led into a swath of forest. They walked some ways before they came across and old shack. Red pushed in front of Jia and led the way in, switching on an old, dusty light. There were a few folding chairs and a card table and that was the extent of the furnishings._

_Jia walked in and stretched out on the wobbly table. She let her head hang over the edge, watching through upside-down-vision as the rest of her rescuers filed in. They spread out over the chairs, some pulling out what Jia recognized as crystal meth. She forced herself not to gag and rolled over onto her stomach, hoping that would help keep her lunch from coming back up._

"_One badass girl," one of Red's friends commented, finally breaking the silence. Jia turned her gaze onto him but remained silent._

"_Man, why didn't you tell us your girl was in trouble with the local Russian arms dealer?" another one asked, clearly annoyed. Red shrugged._

"_What were you their hostage for, anyways?" the first one that had spoken asked. Red stood up straight from where he was leaning against the wall and moved so he stood over Jia._

"_Yeah, what were you their hostage for, babygirl?" he asked. Jia stuck her tongue out at him. He smiled at her and leaned down to whisper in his ear, making it look like he was kissing her._

"_Make the story good," he murmured, his breath hot on her ear. An involuntary shiver ran down her spine and goosebumps appeared on her bare skin. Red stood back up straight, smirking at her._

"_I ripped them off on a deal for some of their AK-47s," Jia said. "They were a little angry."_

"_As I said, one badass girl," one repeated. Jia decided he would be Friend One, no fancy name. He looked at Red. "Where'd you pick this girl up?"_

"_Man, you know all I gots to do is walk down the street and I can get me a girl," Red said. He ducked in the next second as something silver flashed in the light, missing him by a centimeter. He looked up and saw Jia sitting on the table, her muscles too relaxed. He turned around and saw the knife embedded in the wall behind him. "Well, damn girl."_

"_You say something like that one more time, and I'll make sure I don't miss next time," Jia said, smirking. Friend Two let out a long whistle and turned to face Red. He opened his mouth to say something, but didn't get the chance. Red yanked Jia's knife out of the wall and handed it to her. She flipped the blade in and hopped off the table._

"_Time to go, babygirl," Red said, slinging one arm over her shoulder. Jia was tempted to shrug him off, but then remembered they were supposed to be "A thing." She ground her teeth and Red looked down at her with smug grin. They walked in silence until the came to their "headquarters."_

_They entered the elevator, and Jia took the time to study her bloodied wrists. She listened as she heard the soft clicks that indicated another floor had been passed. _

"_We have to wait twelve floors," she sighed, not really expecting a response._

"_That's what happens when you're on top," Red said._

"_I don't get it," Jia said, standing up straight. "Why do we get the penthouse. Shouldn't it be Willow and her team?"_

"_Wolffe has his reasons," Red said in a reserved voice. Jia just rolled her eyes and gave him the "whatever" look. The last click came and Jia watched as the doors slid open. She walked out into the hallway and reached out to let the scanner read her handprint when Red grabbed her and backed her up against a wall._

"_Red?" Jia asked, looking at him, surprise evident in her blue eyes. "What are you doing?"_

"_What were you thinking, going to them?" he hissed. Jia ignored the question._

"_Red," she squirmed, trying to escape. "Come on, it wasn't that bad. I could've gotten out."_

"_They could've killed you," Red snapped._

"_Anyone could kill any of us," Jia snapped back._

"_Do you know what your death would do to me? To Eagle?" Red asked in a low voice. Jia paused at that._

"_But- but he doesn't like me," she stuttered. Red stared at her for a couple moments longer and then released her. _

"_This conversation doesn't leave this hallway," Red said, turning and entering the condo. Eagle was sitting at the dining room table, his laptop and multiple files in front of him. Jia quickly scanned the room, and saw the mostly-empty bottle of vodka, mostly-concealed behind the toaster-oven._

"_How'd it go?" Eagle asked, looking up_

"_Archangel killed one of them, double-tap in the heart," Red reported. Eagle raised his eyebrows and stood up. Jia stood still with her arms wrapped tightly around herself and her head down. She knew just how much trouble she was in._

"_Archangel, a word. In private," Eagle said in a soft, dangerous voice. Jia swallowed and nodded. She followed Eagle into his room. "Lock the door," Eagle said in the same voice. Jia felt even more apprehensive. It was never a good thing when an assassin told another assassin to lock the door._

"_Look, I know I shouldn't have gone, but-," Eagle cut her off._

"_What you did was exactly how we lost our last team member," he snapped. Jia flinched away from him. She had never liked being compared to someone over something she did, especially if the person comparing her cared more for the late person than for her._

"_Well, I'm sorry, but I didn't know," Jia said, her fury over-taking her nervousness. "Next time, why don't you tell me things like this so I know what not to do. And, I mean, why are you even so angry? You've always told me that part of the job is moving on and forgetting."_

_The next thing she felt was Eagle's hand across her face. She stumbled back onto the bed from the force of the blow._

"_Izzy was her comm name," Eagle said. He was breathing heavily, trying hard not to lose himself and attack Jia. "And she was Red's sister. She was killed by those very same Russians."_

_Jia studied him through narrowed eyes, and then her shock changed into understanding._

"_You were in love with her," she murmured. Eagle just continued to glare at her. He nodded at the door._

"_Get out," he snarled. Jia gave him one last, knowing look, and then turned and exited the room. Red was waiting for her on the couch._

"_How much trouble you in?" he asked. Jia came and sat next to him, drawing her knees up to her chest. For many minutes, she stared out the giant window, watching the city below her. The sun had set while she and Red had been walking back and now it was completely dark. The clouds still hung dark and low over the city, giving the atmosphere a more ominous feeling. The only light on was an office lamp shining on the papers Eagle had been going over._

"_How old was she," Jia started softly. "How old was she when she was killed?" She felt Red stiffen beside her, and then he relaxed and gave a sigh._

"_She was eighteen, Eagle was sixteen," he started. "They had just told me how they were a thing. She went to confront the Russians, and then steal from them. She used the same cover story you did. She was caught. They tortured her. They videotaped it and sent it to us. And then they killed her."_

"_I'm sorry," Jia whispered. She scooted closer to Red, curling her legs under her and resting her head on his shoulder. "What was her name?"_

_Red hesitated. Real names weren't supposed to be given out, even if the person was dead._

"_Lizzie," he said finally. "She had requested her name be Lizard, more like her real name, but at the time, we had another agent named Lizard, so she decided Izzy, with a 'y,' would work fine."_

"_I'm sorry," Jia repeated._

"_Me too," Red murmured. He wrapped one arm around Jia's waist and then lay down on the couch, stretching out sideways and bringing Jia down with him. She snuggled back into him, and closed her eyes, starting to fall asleep. But there were more questions she needed answers to._

"_So, the gang," she said._

"_The gang," Red repeated. "Crazy crack-heads, addicted to drugs, sex, and money. Like to start fights, get in fights, end fights. They kill a few people here and there."_

_Jia shrugged as best she could while pressed up against Red. _

"_You know, like any other gang," she said. She heard, and felt, Red laugh. "So, what was your part in it?"_

"_I was the go-to guy when they wanted something done dirty," Red said. "Kidnapping a kid for leverage; killing an old person to prove a point; killing off cops to keep them away from our drugs."_

_Jia went cold as she listened to Red. She remembered news stories periodically about a gang who had killed a police officer, or kidnapped a child. She also remembered the people they kidnapped were usually female. She remembered one story in particular._

"_Red," she said in a low voice, "don't tell me you had anything to do with the six-year-old who was kidnapped and sexually abused before being returned for a payment of six thousand dollars."_

"_Nah, baby," Red said. "I was long gone."_

"_Why did you leave?" Jia asked._

"_Izzy convinced me to, actually," Red said. "She was boss's girl; always knew what was going on before anyone else did. Served as a good informer. And then she met one of us, comm name Ice. He got her to come and meet Wolffe, and then, well, it's obvious what happened next. I stayed in the gang after she disappeared. None of us knew where she went. And then one day she just turns up out of the dark._

"_Scared the living hell out of all of us. And then she says she wants to talk to me alone. Pulls me aside, tells me everything, and then tells me that if I don't agree to join she's gonna have to kill me because she's breached the code of silence. And that's how I ended up here."_

"_Clever," Jia commented. "Almost like blackmail."_

_Red laughed again._

"_You would know, wouldn't you, babygirl?" he asked. "All the blackmailing you've done."_

"_Hey, in my defense, I only use it on people I consider enemies," Jia said. "So, what did Eagle do after she was killed?"_

_Red opened his mouth to answer, but lightening flashed across the sky with a loud 'crack,' stopping him from speaking. Rain started pouring down, hitting the roof with a loud thrumming._

"_Eagle told me not to talk about it," he murmured. _

"_But-," Jia started to protest. Red placed one hand over her mouth, cutting her off. He shifted his position on the couch so Jia was suddenly under him, and held himself up on his elbows._

"_Eagle now forbids attachment," he said quietly in her. Jia shivered at the sudden intimacy of his closeness. "He thinks it causes too much pain in the end."_

"_Maybe it does," she whispered, her eyes following Red's every move, every muscle twitch. As she spoke, another streak of lightening crossed the sky. She saw Red's smirk and then felt him lightly kiss her._

"_No strings attached," he said, almost inaudibly, in Jia's ear, and then got up and went into his room, leaving her alone in the living room. Jia lay still for a while, trying to understand everything that seemed to be happening so quickly. After about thirty minutes, she slid off the couch and walked to the dining room table. Eagle's laptop had gone into sleep mode, and all the files had a magnetic lock, keeping the information in and unwanted, prying eyes out._

_She crept down the hallway and tried the doorknob for each Eagle's and Red's room. Both were locked. She did a quick heat scan with her phone and saw Red was in the shower and Eagle was, she assumed, asleep._

"_Okay, Eagle," she said quietly to herself, sliding into the chair he had been in. "Let's see what you're researching."_

_She ran her finger over the mouse, taking the laptop out of sleep mode. A pale blue screen popped up, asking for a password. Jia bit her lip, trying to decide whether to try and guess the password or hack into the computer. She decided on hacking and started typing into commands. She bit down harder on her lip as she ran into multiple firewalls. _

"_Finally," she breathed when she came to the active screen. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion when she saw the multiple open documents. She clicked on one and quickly read through it. "Oh my God."_

_She pulled her personal USB drive out of her front pocket and plugged it into the computer. She downloaded every file she could, including old documents having to do with past missions. Then she turned her attention to the folders. Holding her phone up to the magnetic lock, Jia used it to trick the locks into unlatching. She opened the folders and used her phone to scan and save a copy of every piece of paper in all the folders. She was just relocking the last folder when Eagle appeared from the hallway._

"_Find anything interesting?" he asked maliciously. Jia jumped out of the chair and away from the computer as if she had been burned._

"_No," she said, too quickly. Eagle's lip curled up._

"_You're lying," he said. He stumbled towards Jia and she immediately knew what was wrong with him, besides the fact she had been looking at something she shouldn't have been._

"_You're drunk," she gasped, turning her head away from Eagle as he came to stand in front of her. She refrained from saying "again."_

"_I'm not drunk," Eagle slurred, trying, and failing, to hide the alcohol on his voice with what smelled like mint-flavored gum. "Now, what was little Archangel doing going through my folders?"_

"_Checking something," Jia said, refusing to be intimidated by her team leader. Eagle chuckled, and looked around._

"_Checking something," he repeated. And then he grabbed Jia roughly by her shoulders. "Stop lying!" he yelled at her. _

"_Easy, boss," Red said, all the noise bringing him from his room. "She's new, remember? She don't know no better."_

_Eagle stood still as he thought about what Red had said, and then he shoved Jia away from him. She tucked her head in as she fell and twisted so she landed on her shoulder instead of flat on her back. Eagle stood still again and then shuffled into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of beer from the refrigerator. He glared at Jia while he popped off the cap and took a gulp. Then he shuffled back into the dining/living room, grabbed his laptop from the table, and disappeared back into his room._

_Jia got shakily up from the floor, and swallowed hard. She closed her eyes, taking some deep breaths to calm her nerves. She didn't open her eyes until she felt Red's arms wrap around her waist from behind and his chin resting on her shoulder. _

"_You okay, 'Angel?" he asked her. Jia nodded._

"_Yeah, fine," she gave another swallow and then felt her tough outer shell crumble. "No I'm not. I get that he's drunk, again, and that I was doing something that I shouldn't have done, again; but he shouldn't be treating us like that. He knows better. And, I mean, I can't fight him. He's my team leader. It's against the rules. If Wolffe found out, he would kill me. And as much as death sounds like a welcome option right now, I have a little brother to protect." Jia's voice was rising as she starting to get worked up. "If you hadn't been here, he probably would've killed me. You saw how angry he was. What if something like that happens again and you aren't here. I mean…." she trailed off, out of breath and not sure how to continue. Red let go of her waist, taking her by the hand. He tugged slightly and led her over to couch. Jia sat down next to him, curling her legs under her again and leaning into him._

"_If I wasn't here," Red said in a gentle, almost-soothing voice, "you're right; he probably would have killed you. Which means you have to be careful, because next time he catches you doing something like that, he will kill you, whether I'm here to stop him or not."_

_Jia wrapped both arms around Red and hugged him tightly, clinging to him as if to save her life._

"_I'm not sure I like this anymore," she said quietly. "At first, it seemed like a good idea. Like it was the answer I was looking for to solve my problems. But now…"_

"_You can't back out," Red said matter-of-factly, but still gently. "You know Wolffe's rules."_

"_So many rules," Jia sighed. "I thought we operated outside of them."_

"_Outside the laws," Red corrected. "Whether you like it or not, there's a difference, babygirl."_

"_Red, the names," Jia said with another sigh._

"_Hey, I'm gonna call you what I want," Red said. He smiled cheekily. "Besides, it's good for you."_

"_Good for me?" Jia repeated incredulously._

"_Yeah. You know, not being so innocent and puritan," Red said with a shrug._

"_Innocent? Puritan?" Jia's voice was rising again, this time in indignation. "I am anything but! You were there to see me kill a man earlier today."_

"_I meant sexually," Red said. He gave Jia's thigh a playful squeeze. She looked at him in something that was a mixture of amusement and offense, and swatted his hand away. Red started laughing and he pulled Jia into him with a one-armed hug. She struggled to keep a straight face, but after a moment, gave into a fit of giggles. And just like that, her fear of Eagle was gone._

_Suddenly, Jia sat up straight and looked at Red, a meschievous look in her eye._

_"What now?" he asked warily. Jia grinned at him._

_"You know, I can't sleep. Wanna go do something?" she asked. Red's face lit up and Jia immediately knew what he thought she was trying to say. "No, I didn't mean that; sorry, bubba."_

_"Then what did you mean?" Red asked, looking disappointed. Jia's grin widened into a smile._

_"I still have those blueprints in my head. And I've been wanting to try cracking a Glen Reader."_

_She was silent as she let him work out what she was saying, and then he looked up at her from under his eyebrows, his eyes narrowed into a devious smirk._

_"Eagle's gonna kill us if we get caught," he pointed out. Jia laughed out loud, the prospect of adventure out-weighing her fear of Eagle and exhilerating her. _

_"Red," she said, still laughing. She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Eagle's gonna kill us anyways."_

* * *

Jia released Anakin's hand and looked at him, a sad smile on her face.

"You loved him?" Anakin asked after a moment. Jia knew he was talking about Eagle.

"Not at first," she said. She gave a breath of laughter. "In fact, I hated him at first. Red, and the fact that me and my family would be killed if I left, were the only two reasons I stayed and suffered through everything. Eagle got better after two months; that's when he finally quit drinking."

"What was in the files?" Anakin asked curiously. Strangely, that part of the memory had been blotted out. There had been a dark square in the memory where the laptop screen or the files should have been. "Why weren't they in the memory?"

"Oh, just other ops," Jia said with a shrug. It was a carefree shrug; too carefree. And her voice was just a tidbit too casual. "And you couldn't see them because I forced my mind to separate that part from the rest of the memory. What the files contained are stored in a different part than the memory compartment of my brain." Anakin opened his mouth to speak again, but Jia anticipated his question and cut him off. "The reason I separated it is because there are some drugs that we might be given during an interrogation that breaks through all our mental barriers; some type of truth serum. The memory of the files, and many other things, can only be triggered by a certain word. It protects the information."

Anakin nodded, but Jia guessed he didn't fully understand what she was trying to explain.

"Red gave me a necklace," Jia started talking again, lost in another memory. "For the first birthday I was with them. It contained both our birthstones. His was the Peridot stone; mine was sapphire. I usually have it with me. I use it for special occasions, or when I need to dress up to go undercover. The stones were really pretty together. I don't know where he got them. Stole them, probably."

She looked over at Anakin, as if suddenly remembering she had company. She gave him another smile.

"Thank you for listening," she said quietly. "It was actually good to talk, which I can't really believe."

Anakin chuckled and turned away from Jia. She watched him walk away and then turned back to the stars.

* * *

_I used this chapter to show that Jia and Eagle weren't always BFF. I also used it to introsuce Red to everyone (including myself, believe it or not). I based his personality and everything off one of my classmates, so I'll give him some of the credit. The next chapter, or maybe after the next chapter, the search for Ashoka starts. The search was actually supposed to be the bulk of the story, and probably still will be, it's just taken forever to get there. Hope you enjoyed! _


	30. Consequences

**Consequences**

Lylla and her friend, Pyra, stood at the island in Lylla's kitchen, each making a different type of cookie. Pyra kept looking at the two clone troopers who stood straight and tall next to Lylla's door.

"Tell me again why they're here," Pyra said in a soft, nearly inaudible voice.

"I _don't know_," Lylla said with a sigh.

"What do they look like without the helmet?" Pyra asked quietly. Lylla shrugged and Pyra shot her an annoyed look. "Well, I want to know."

Lylla sighed, but then gave in.

"Hey, you two," she called to them. They both turned their helmeted heads to look at her. "Come drink something. You've been standing there for days, and haven't had anything to eat or drink. That I've seen anyways."

"We're fine, ma'am," one of them said stiffly. Lylla put her hands on her hips and cocked a hip.

"Come on," she said, making her voice playful and welcoming. "It's only some juice. Or water. Whatever works for you."

They exchanged a glance and then walked over to the island, their movements perfectly synchronized with each other. Lylla turned to her conservator and pulled a glass pitcher of a reddish-orange juice out. She got two glasses down from the cabinet and carefully filled them, making sure they were equal. She knew the clones wouldn't mind if one got more than the other, but after living with Maddison and Syrus, mainly Maddison, for two months, it was habit.

"Here," she said handing each one a glass. The clones stood still for a moment, feeling awkward. They weren't sure what to do. Finally, one removed his helmet and took a sip of the juice. As soon as his helmet had been removed, Pyra gasped, her eyes widening. She gawked at him until Lylla elbowed her roughly in the ribs.

"Stop staring," she hissed in Pyra's ear. "You look like an idiot."

"I never thought that the clones were so….," she trailed off, not sure how to describe them. She struggled with words for a minute, and then continued. "So…. _hot."_

Suddenly wanting the attention his brother was getting, the other clone removed his helmet and raised the glass to his lips.

"So," Lylla said, after several moments of an awkward, heavy silence. "Do you guys have names or something?"

"No names, ma'am," the one who had removed his helmet first said. "Just numbers. We're only clone troopers."

"Oh," Lylla blinked. "Okay. I guess."

She went back to her cookie dough, but Pyra didn't let it drop.

"Well, we need to be able to call you by _something_," she declared. The two clones exchanged an amused glance and then turned their attention back to the human girl. Lylla ducked her head so no one would see the smile on her face when she noticed the troopers studying her friend.

Pyra had a slim frame with short, bright, aqua-colored, crimson-highlighted hair. Her eyes were a glowing silver color and her skin was a soft bisque color that was decorated in nearly-invisible sparkles that shimmered in the sunlight coming in through Lylla's kitchen window. She had on grey booty-shorts and a loose, white, knit sweater that exposed her shoulders. Black leather thigh boots with a ¾ inch platform and four inch stacked heel and buckles and straps finished off the outfit.

"So, names or no?" Pyra asked after a couple moments.

"No, ma'am," one of the clones said. Pyra's lips turned down in a pout and she sighed.

"Okay."

Lylla coughed down her laughter while stepping on her friend's foot. Pyra gasped and turned to look at her.

"You did _not_ just step on my new G boots!" she exclaimed. Lylla smirked at her and turned around to put her cookies in the oven.

"Hurry up and finish with the cookies so we can eat them with dinner," she said to Pyra. Pyra rolled her eyes but quickly finished separating her cookie dough and setting it on the baking stone. She handed it to Lylla, who put it in the oven next to her sheet of cookies. The two girls cleaned up and then went into the living room.

"So," Pyra said as they sat down and Lylla turned on HNN. "Are you going to invite the cute soldiers to eat dinner with us?"

"Pyra," Lylla hissed in a low voice. "Their right there!"

Pyra shrugged and raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

"'Cause, I mean, if you're not, I am," she continued as if Lylla hadn't said anything. Lylla felt her face burning in embarrassment as Pyra turned and asked the two clones if they would like to eat dinner with the two girls. Lylla could tell the clones were as embarrassed as she was as they politely declined the invitation.

"Please?" Pyra begged. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Lylla elbowed her in the ribs again. "Oww," Pyra hissed, turning to look at Lylla. "Now what?"

"What movie do you want to watch?" Lylla asked.

"Something action-y," Pyra said, taking off her boots and crossing her legs. "Last time we watched a movie, it was one of your chick-holos. Do you know how bored I was?"

"Okay, something action-y," Lylla said with a sigh.

* * *

Prima whined and pawed at the base of the door. Syrus sighed and gently pulled her away from the door.

"Maddison isn't coming back," he told the animal. Prima looked at him, her gray eyes full of sadness and longing. She was pining for her owner. Syrus became angry. He couldn't believe Maddison had just left him and Lylla and Prima to go back to being a Jedi.

He sat down on the edge of his bed and Prima jumped up next to him. She stretched out next to him, her head in his lap. Syrus absent-mindedly stroked her big, furry head. He opened his mouth, about to tell Prima they should go on a walk, when there was a knock on the door. He heard his mom talking to someone and sighed.

"Just another person trying to sell us something," he complained to Prima. She gave a small 'woof' of agreement.

"Syrus," his mom called, startling him. "Someone's here to talk to you."

Syrus felt like ignoring his mom, but then he got up and slowly walked to the front door, Prima trailing after him. He was shocked to see a group of clone troopers and a Jedi. His mom was standing to the side, her hands on her hips.

"Care to explain what you did to have a Jedi come after you?" she asked him.

"I swear, I didn't do anything," Syrus defended himself.

"May we come in?" the Jedi asked. Syrus shrugged.

"Sure." He stepped to the side and closed the door behind them.

"Would you like something to drink?" his mom asked stiffly.

"Yes, a drink would be nice," the Jedi said. Syrus's mom walked into the kitchen and returned a moment later with a glass half-filled with water. She looked from Syrus to the Jedi and then turned and marched out of the room.

"Don't take it personally," Syrus said, stretching out on the sofa. "She doesn't like Jedi. Or clones. Or politicians. Or anyone who has anything to do with the government. So, what have I done to get a Jedi and a group of clones in my house?"

"Maddison Suszko," the Jedi said. Syrus raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know her," he said. The Jedi nodded at Prima, who was sitting guard at Syrus's feet.

"I would think so. That is her pet," she said. Syrus sat up straight and leaned towards the Jedi.

"Have you come to take the pet back?" he asked.

"We came to ask a favor," the Jedi said.

"Ask away," Syrus shot back, resuming his lounging position.

"Maddison Suszko witnessed the kidnapping of one of my fellow Jedi," the Jedi started. "But, she won't give us any details. It would be very helpful if you could ask her for us and record her answers."

"Ask Lylla," Syrus said.

"We already have," the Jedi told him. "She told us to come to you."

"Okay, well I'm not helping," Syrus said. He stood up and opened the front door. "You can take the pet if you want, though. Bye now."

The Jedi stood up and walked slowly towards the front door, the clones following. She stopped in front of Syrus and stared him down for a moment and then swept out the door. Prima watched her leave, took a step to follow, and then turned around and went back to Syrus. She was staying until Maddison came back. Because Maddison always came back for her.

* * *

Jia stood in front of the holo-projector, her arms crossed stubbornly over her chest. Anakin stood next to her and Rex stood a respectful distance behind them. In front of them, the holo-projector displayed the Jedi Council and the Chancellor.

"No," Anakin was saying, shaking his head. "Not happening."

"I have to agree with Anakin on this one," Obi-wan said, sounding somewhat regretful.

"Oh, come on," Jia said. "I've already got all the details concerning who replaces who worked out. Commander Appo would be temporarily replacing Captain Rex, and someone by the name of Commander Kote will be temporarily taking command of the 212th. ARC Trooper Fives, and Clone Troopers: Fox, Wooley, Trapper, Boil, and Waxer will also accompany us."

"And you are taking them to search for Padawan Tano?" Windu asked, looking thoughtful.

"Yes," Jia said.

"Masters, you can't actually be considering this," Anakin exclaimed, appalled.

"She does have the skills," Luminara pointed out. "And the plan."

"Only clone troopers though?" Ki-Adi-Mundi asked.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Jia shot back.

"You would have a better chance if there was a Jedi with you," Obi-wan said. Jia raised an eyebrow.

"Are you doubting my skills?" she asked. Her eyes turned malicious as she hit where she knew it would hurt. "Are you doubting your troopers skills?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that," Obi-wan immediately back-tracked. Jia just looked at him for a moment and then turned back everyone else.

"If you feel it necessary for me to bring a Jedi along, then I will," she relented.

"I suggest Master-," the Chancellor started, but Jia cut him off.

"I choose," she said shortly. She thought for a moment. She would love to bring Jacob along, but she didn't know how he would deal with her apparent "betrayal." Besides, she knew he and Ahsoka didn't get along too well. Maddison was too young. A Jedi Master was out of question. "Barriss Offee," she said finally.

She was quiet as she let everyone work out their thoughts and put them in order. She could almost see the thoughts and replies racing through their minds.

"I think it would be a good mission for my Padawan," Luminara said finally. Jia nodded her thanks.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Anakin muttered. Jia snapped her head around to look at him.

"It is _your_ Padawan we're looking for," she pointed out. Then she switched from English to Huttese. "I know things about you that could seriously hurt you," she said quietly to Anakin. "And I could expose you and you would never know what hit you."

Anakin visibly paled. Everyone watched curiously, wondering what she was saying, except Obi-wan, who was able to understand what she was saying.

"You wouldn't," Anakin whispered. Jia just shrugged. Anakin opened his mouth to speak, but Jia held up her hand, stopping him.

"Don't bother trying to argue," she said. "I know how to be ruthless. And before you say I'm bluffing, just let me remind you I always come prepared." She was quiet as Anakin worked out what she was saying, and then he sighed, giving in.

"Mind telling us what that was about?" the Chancellor asked. Jia could tell he did not like being excluded. "Those were some very cryptic sentences."

"Not really," Jia said. "You're just over-thinking it. But, we're a go, then?"

"Yes," Windu said. "When do you plan to leave?"

"Oh, I'll need a few days in Coruscant," Jia said. "Major op like this, takes some planning."

"You haven't planned it yet?" Obi-wan asked. Jia shrugged.

"I didn't know you would agree, so why would I?" she retorted. Rex smiled behind his helmet. This girl was good. She had known the Jedi would agree; she had told him.

"Oh, one more thing," Jia said, as everyone prepared to end the conversation. "A new batch of, I think they are known to the more experienced clones as "shinnies," are coming to Coruscant within the next thirty-six hours. I would like some of them to join our little hunting party."

"It would be good experience for them," Windu said, nodding. Jia nodded back politely.

"What if you don't succeed?" Luminara asked. "You must consider that."

"I don't fail," Jia said, her eyes narrowing.

"On a mission like this, there is always the chance you will be killed," Kit Fisto pointed out.

"I don't fear death," Jia said to him.

"If you do die, though, what happens then?" Luminara asked.

"The clones keep on with the mission," Jia said. Her body stiffened and she took a deep breath. "What I'm about to tell you is supposed to be confidential, but I think you should know. Wolffe, my handler and trainer and over-all leader, had a set of rules we were to live by. Rule number eleven: forget and move on. Rule number thirty-six: if one of the team is killed, the mission is to continue. Rule number thirty-seven: if it is the team leader who is killed, the second in command, who in this case will be Commander Cody, is to take charge." Jia took another deep breath before she continued.

"Rule number one: we either succeed in our mission…. or die trying."

* * *

Pyra giggled and took another sip of the alcoholic juice she had found in Lylla's pantry. She was currently nestled in the lap of Jinx, one of the clones at Lylla's apartment. Lylla was leaning on the other trooper, Snake, almost asleep as they watched the movie. It was the third movie the girls had put in. Pyra had been shocked at how many "action-y" movies Lylla had had even though she didn't watch them. She had finally convinced the clones to join them during the middle of the second movie.

The third movie was almost over, only the big, dramatic ending scene left. An explosion, a kiss, and a death later, the movie ended. Pyra slid out of Jinx's lap and put the movie away.

"Is it over?" Lylla asked drowsily.

"Yeah, the boyfriend, soldier man, whatever his name was, was killed," Pyra said with a shrug.

"Aww, that's sad," Lylla said, laughing at her friend.

"Yeah, but the girl learned how not to be a bitch," Pyra added.

"Oh, well that's good, I guess," Lylla said, still laughing. Pyra stumbled back to Jinx and resumed her previous position in his lap.

"Pyra, how much of the juice have you had?" Lylla asked.

"Not much," Pyra said defensively. Lylla picked up the jug from the floor and weighed it in her hand.

"Girl, this thing is half-empty," she squeaked.

"Oh, I didn't notice," Pyra said, starting to giggle again. Lylla sighed and took the cup out of her hand.

"No more for you," she said firmly, getting up and dumping the juice down the sink. She replaced the jug in the pantry and locked the pantry door. When she returned to the living room, Pyra and Jinx had disappeared.

"Where'd they go?" she asked Snake. He nodded towards the guest room and Lylla sighed. _Pyra,_ she mentally groaned. She was about to go get them when Snake grabbed her wrist, stopping her. Lylla turned to look at him and saw something different in his brown eyes. She turned to look back towards the closed door of the guest room.

"Leave them be," Snake said in a low, husky voice. Lylla felt shivers go down her spine and her stomach clenched in anticipation.

"Snake," she started, but stopped, not sure what to say. Snake grinned up at her and slowly pulled her down onto the sofa next to him. In a sudden desperation, Lylla straddled Snake's lap and pressed her lips onto his. Snake tangled his fingers in her shoulder-length hair, bracing her head and neck. Lylla gave a quiet moan and pressed herself closer to Snake. In response, Snake kissed a trail along her jawline and down her neck.

"Ow," Lylla said after a moment, quietly and breathlessly. Snake froze. He hadn't meant to hurt her. "Your armor hurts," Lylla explained, shifting and wincing. Snake hung his head, ashamed. Lylla was confused. She played the last few moments back in her head and suddenly realized what was wrong.

"Hey," she said, raising his chin with two fingers. "There's a simple solution. We just take your armor off."

* * *

Lylla woke up many hours later, back in her bed. She was confused. She had fallen asleep in Snake's arms after a couple rounds of love-making. She slipped out of bed and realized she was still completely naked. She slipped into her satin robe, pulled her hair back in a braid, slid her feet into her slippers and made her way out into the living room. Snake was asleep on the couch, the bottom half of his bodysuit back on.

Lylla just stood there, watching him sleep. She decided he looked very peaceful when he was asleep. A loud thump followed by giggling came from the guest room and Lylla rolled her eyes. _They could at least try to be quieter,_ she though irritably.

At the thump, Snake snapped awake and was on his feet in an instant. He looked around, searching for the cause of the noise. He only got half-way through the search. His eyes fell on Lylla and his face burned as he remembered the evening's activities. Lylla blushed, too, and pulled her robe tighter around her body.

"Hey, umm, I was just looking for you," she said awkwardly. Snake didn't say anything. "Did you put me in my-" Lylla stopped right before saying 'bed' "-room?"

"Yes," Snake said. He studied Lylla, looking at her in an entirely different light after making love to her. The robe was loose on her tiny frame and she looked small and frail. Her hair was in a messy braid and her skin looked silver in the city lights that came through the window.

"Oh, thanks," Lylla said, not sure what else to say. The two of them stood there, awkward and unsure, for quite a long while. Snake opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by another loud thump.

"Damn it," Lylla growled. "They're gonna have the other residents complaining and I'm gonna get in trouble." Snake turned his head away and grinned; Lylla caught the grin and glowered up at him. "What?"

"You're cute when you're angry," Snake said in his deep voice. Lylla blinked; she hadn't been expecting that.

"Thanks, I think," Lylla said. A third thump followed her sentence. She let out an irritated growl and marched over to the door. She knocked twice, but when there was no answer, she banged it open. It was too dark to see anything, and she was glad; she didn't want to know what Pyra and Jinx were up to, but she had her suspicions. "Will you two stop that," she snapped. "I don't feel like getting thrown out because of all the noise _you're_ making."

"Sorry," Pyra said. Lylla paused as she noticed her friend's voice sounded different, but proceeded to close the door. She turned around and found herself nose-to-nose with Snake. His arm snaked around her waist and he cinched her closer to him. Lylla stretched up to kiss him, but then pulled herself away with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Snake asked.

"I don't know," Lylla said. "I'm just not really feeling up for, you know…." she trailed off, feeling awkward again. Snake released her and took a step back, looking hurt.

"Okay," he said. Lylla cupped his cheek in her hand and tilted his face down towards her.

"It's nothing you did," she soothed.

Snake nodded, but didn't look entirely convinced. Lylla tangled her fingers in his and tugged him towards the kitchen. Snake sat down in one of the chairs at the bar of the island and Lylla went and prepared some tea. She briefly thought of how exhausted she would be the next day at work, but the thought flew from her mind when she looked up and saw Snake tracking her every move with his beautiful amber eyes.

She blushed and looked back down at the tea leaves she was pouring into the kettle. She set the container of leaves aside and replaced the lid on the pot. She slid into the chair next to Snake and re-laced her fingers through his.

"So, what's it like being in the military?" she asked him. Snake shrugged.

"You saw the scars," he said; and Lylla blushed again.

"Is it scary?" she asked suddenly, the childish question popping out of her mouth before she could stop it. Snake looked at her, amused.

"I guess, sometimes," he said with another shrug. "But fear makes you fast on your feet."

"I would be terrified," Lylla murmured. Her stove timer went off and she got up and poured the tea into a mug. She resumed her position next to Snake, both hands wrapped around the tea mug.

"I would protect you," Snake assured her. His voice was teasing, but when Lylla turned to look at him, she saw he meant what he said. She didn't have a response to that so she changed the subject.

"Are you gonna get in trouble for this?" she asked.

"No one needs to know," Snake said. Lylla tipped her head to the side and studied him.

"You didn't answer my question," she pointed out.

"Maybe," Snake admitted. "But it's worth it."

Lylla smiled shyly and finished her tea. She slid off the chair and put the mug in the sink.

"I need to get some sleep," she said, stifling a yawn. Snake grinned sheepishly and nodded in agreement. He swept Lylla off her feet, ignoring her surprised squeal, and carried her into her room. He set her gently on her bed, tucked the blanket around her, and turned to leave. Lylla caught his hand and tugged him back towards her.

"Stay," she pleaded, looking at him with big, brown eyes. Snake looked unsure, but relented, stretching out on the bed next to her. Lylla turned and curled up against his chest, and after a few moments, Snake gathered her curled form in his arms and tucked her under his chin. He felt her smile against his chest.

"What?" he asked, self-conscious.

"You're only a clone trooper, right?" Lylla asked, throwing back at him his words from earlier that day. Snake gently shoved her with his shoulder.

"Shut up and go to sleep," he growled. He felt Lylla shaking with laughter, but then heard her breathing even out after a moment.

* * *

Jia stood in Maddison's dorm at the Jedi Temple, her back to the door. She heard the door slide open, and knew who it was without having to turn around.

"Took you long enough," she said. Jacob walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

"How long have you been back?" he asked.

"Got rescued couple days ago," Jia said.

"Rescued?" Jacob repeated.

"They kept me in electrocuted shackles," Jia said with a sigh.

"They?" Jacob asked.

"The bounty hunters," Jia said with another sigh. "Look, there's something you want to talk about. I can tell. So talk."

"We found the files," Jacob said. Jia finally turned around to face him. "The Separatist files. The ones you had saved and protected on your laptop."

Jia nodded, and looked down.

"And you ran right back here to tell on me," she murmured.

"What's your point?" Jacob snapped.

"Your loyalty to the Jedi outweighed your loyalty to me," Jia pointed out.

"Does that surprise you?" Jacob retorted. Jia sighed.

"Not really, I guess," she said. "But a girl can hope."

"Where did you get those files from?" Jacob asked after a few moments. "Steal them?"

Jia blinked and hesitated. Jacob narrowed his eyes at her but remained where he was.

"What is it?" he asked suspiciously.

"Those files weren't stolen," Jia said quietly.

"Then where did you get them from?" Jacob asked.

"They were given to me," Jia said slowly, "by a Separatist Senator."

Jacob looked at her and nodded once.

"So you're a traitor," he said.

"It was before I helped you guys. I took the file, but even after I figured out what side I wanted to be on, I kept it. It had valuable information; _useful_ information. I installed it on my laptop as a back-up safety measure. I knew if something happened to me, someone I cared about would come to look for me. After I met you and Maddison and you knew about Red and Eagle, I finished up the last details. I made it easy for you to access. I knew you would turn around and come back to your Jedi Masters," Jia stopped talking and lowered her voice to a whisper. "But I hoped you wouldn't. God, I hoped you would stay on the search. But I knew you wouldn't."

"Why didn't you at least tell me?" Jacob asked her, his voice rising. "Didn't you trust me?"

"Would you have believed me? Would you have listened and done what I asked?" Jia shot back. Jacob didn't answer and Jia nodded once. "Thought so."

Jacob shook his head and turned to leave.

"You lied and manipulated me," he hissed. Jia's eyes flashed.

"It was to protect you," Jia snapped.

"I don't need your protection," Jacob snapped back.

"You're not being fair!" Jia cried.

"Fair?" Jacob spluttered. "What's not fair is you using us. Me and Maddison just so you could feel loved again."

"That's not what I did!" Jia protested. But Jacob wasn't hearing any of it. He was too angry.

"Why did I even try?" he muttered. "I knew you had a messed up mind. I didn't think it would be this bad."

"If you knew what you were getting into, why are you so shocked?" Jia asked in a snarl. "You know there is no black and white in my life; no distinct "what's right" and "what's wrong." I live in the gray area. You know the line is blurred for me."

"It was because," Jacob started, then cut himself off mid-sentence. He wasn't ever going to admit to anyone what had attracted him to the assassin girl.

"Because what?" Jia asked him. Jacob just shook his head at her. Jia took a deep breath to calm herself and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she saw Jacob was watching at her. "Jacob," she said in a quiet voice, "I am sorry."

"Never apologize," Jacob spat at her, throwing her own words back in her face. "It is a sign of weakness."

With that, he stormed out of the room, the door sliding shut behind him. Jia stared at the closed door, tears gathering in her eyes. She fell against the door and slid down the wall to the ground. She cried silently in her arms, hoping her shirt would soak up her tears. She knew he was right. She knew she should have trusted him more, and told him. And she knew she deserved whatever punishment she got. Because that was what she did; she took the punishment. Even if that punishment hurt like hell. Even if that punishment was losing one of the only people she loved.

* * *

Lylla's alarm went off and she yawned and sat up. _I had the craziest dream,_ she thought. And then she saw Snake dangling half-off the bed and knew it hadn't been a dream.

"Snake," Lylla called quietly. The clone jerked awake; and promptly finished falling off the bed. Lylla couldn't help the laughter the burst from her. The world suddenly turned upside-down as Snake jumped up from the ground and threw Lylla over his shoulder. Lylla let out a squeak and pounded Snake in the back with her fists.

"Let me go," she squealed. Snake laughed and tossed her back onto her bed. Lylla scrambled up and slid off her bed. She tried to glare at Snake, but ended up trying to force away a smile when she looked at him. She started to say something but was cut off when her comlink started beeping. She sighed and answered with an annoyed growl. "What?"

"Haven't talked to you in three months and all I get is a "what"?" a familiar, female voice asked.

"Jia!" Lylla cried. She shot a glance at Snake. He took the hint and left the room. Lylla lowered her voice some. "I didn't know you were back. Does Maddison know?"

"Not yet," Jia said. "But, that's not what I called you about."

"Okay, so what did you call about?" Lylla asked. She stepped into the peacock-design decorated skirt she had bought while shopping with Jia and pulled a white, blousy shirt over her head.

"I need your help," Jia started. "With an upcoming op. Ahsoka was kidnapped and I've organized a team to get her back. But, I need at least one civilian with me. I already have a Jedi chosen that's coming with us and a group of clones."

"So, I'm the civilian?" Lylla asked.

"Yup," Jia said. "So, do you agree to come?"

"Sure. Do I need to meet you somewhere or something?" Lylla asked, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

"Just have the two clones at your apartment bring you over to the barracks," Jia said. Lylla froze.

"How did you know?" Lylla asked, almost-fearfully.

"Just a hunch," Jia said.

"Do you know anything else?" Lylla asked.

"Should I?" Jia asked curiously. Lylla breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay. I'll have Sna- err, one of the clone troopers bring me to the barracks to meet you," she said.

"Okay," Jia said. She took a breath to say something else, but just ended up cutting off the connection. Lylla breathed a sigh of relief. She threw her comlink to the side and quickly applied some make-up. She curled the last two inches of her hair, doused it in hairspray, and finally deemed herself ready for the rest of the world to see.

She walked out to the living room and saw both Snake and Jinx were standing perfectly still by the door, fully-armored and silent. Lylla sighed. Everything was back to normal.

"Hey, I need one of you, or both of you to take me to…," she trailed off, not sure what to say without it coming out sounding all wrong, especially after the previous night's activities. She tried again. "My friend needs me to meet her at your guy's barracks and she suggested I have one of you take me."

Snake and Jinx shared a glance, and then Jinx stepped forward.

"I'll take you, ma'am," he said. Lylla smiled her thanks and then turned to give Snake a quick, longing look. She gave another sigh and walked into her kitchen to grab a quick something for breakfast. Deciding on some cookies, she wrapped them up in a couple napkins, stuck them in her purse, double-checked her hair in the mirror, and then nodded at Jinx.

He opened the door and followed her out into the halls. Snake sighed and spared a glance at the guest room where Pyra was still asleep. Or passed out. He didn't know and he wasn't exactly itching to find out. And then he heard movement from the room and gulped. Not that he was going to admit it to anyone, but the girl scared him a little. Just a little.

* * *

Jia sat on some crates that were stacked on top of each other and spread about messily. She had flown her ship from the Temple to the barracks and gotten permission to land it in the hangar. With Rex and Cody off gathering the clones she had requested, she had found a nice space where the crates were far enough apart that a group of people could stand comfortably together.

All the lights were currently on and all doors were open. As soon as everyone arrived, though, the lights would go off and the doors would close and lock. She had set everything to happen automatically. As soon as she had everyone's attention, one light would come on. It would help give the tone of the mission.

She looked up from her gun when she heard footsteps, and then pushed everything into her backpack. Just as planned, all the doors slammed shut and locked with a clang. Everyone jumped and Jia smiled in amusement. When the lights shut off, she listened as they clones bumped around for a few moments, cursing. She leaned back and listened as they all came closer, closing her eyes and enjoying the darkness.

She had been kept in enough darkness while with the bounty hunters, but this was different. She felt in control in this situation; powerful. It was much better than being in electrocuted shackles.

"Where'd the Commander bring us?" she heard one of the clones ask.

"He brought you to me," Jia said. As she spoke, the light hanging directly over her flickered on. The shadows played off her face, giving her an eerie look. Jia looked around. "Is everyone here?"

"We are missing two," Rex told her. Jia raised an eyebrow.

"Who?" she asked.

"Two of the shinnies," Cody said.

"Hmm," was all she said. "Well, the briefing doesn't start until they arrive so-" she was cut off by a loud banging on the door. "I think that's them."

She remotely opened the door partially. Two clones stumbled in and the door was shut and locked behind them. They made their way over to the group.

"Sorry, sir. We got held up," one of them said, saluting Cody. Cody completely ignored him. Jia hopped off the crates, landing lightly on the ground.

"Being late is unacceptable, gentlemen," she said. "But, you were not aware of the new standards, so I will let it slide."

"Commander?" the same one asked Cody. Cody nodded at Jia.

"She's in charge of this one. She'll brief us as soon as you two stop talking," he said. Lylla bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

"So, what are the new standards?" Trapper asked. Jia gave him the slightest bit of a smile.

"As of this moment, this room is an operational skiff. Anything and everything that is said in here stays in here. Also, as of this moment, you are all automatically upholding the code of silence. If any one of you even _hints_ at what happens on this mission, or what this mission is about, I. Will. Kill. You," Jia said.

"And she actually means it," Waxer muttered. Jia shot him a look and he snapped his mouth shut.

"Our mission is to search for, find, and rescue Padawan-learner Ahsoka Tano. Here are the new standards that you all were just asking about," Jia said. She closed her eyes, steadying herself before she continued. "I suggest you write these down, because I won't be repeating them. One: the chain of command starts with me. Next comes Commander Cody, and right behind him is Captain Rex. Jedi Offee is _after_ them.

"Two: I will take blood samples from each of you. Once your blood is taken, you are officially part of this team. This team is your new family; your new life. No one is left behind, no one is lied to, no one is kept in the dark. Your ranks have all been stripped away, replaced with the ones I give. You are no longer from different squads, or attack battalions, or whatever else you want to argue. You are all together. If I need to, I will make you all repaint your armor. I hope it doesn't come to that.

"Three: on this mission, you will probably need to use every single bit of your training at one point or another. Before any confusion around this subject occurs, let me make this clear. I am an assassin; the majority of you are clones. There is one Jedi and one civilian. I hand-picked everyone on this team, which means you have something that might help us at one point.

"Four: this may be a rescue mission, but if we are engaged, you are to do your absolute worst. The people we are after are not good people. They are killers, slavers, slave traders, smugglers, drug dealers; we are not to show mercy unless I say so. Jedi Offee, I know you are trained in healing, not destruction; and I'm betting somewhere in your Jedi rulebook, or whatever you have, there is something against killing. I have taken that into consideration. The majority of the time you will remain on the ship. Only under special circumstances will you accompany us into battle. Your skills of healing will definitely be of more use than your skills of slicing and dicing things with your lightsaber.

"Five: you must be on time to _everything_. No excuses. Timing is everything on an op. The two minutes you use to stop to smell flowers on the side of the road might possibly be the two minutes in which the good Captain here is killed. Tardiness will be punished; it will help you learn more quickly how to be on time. If you are stopped, you can just walk off. I have nothing against rudeness under certain circumstances. Timing is one of those.

"There are also a few rules for you to follow. You will live by these rules. You will not bend them, break them, ignore them, or any other thing you can possibly think of. Rule five is that there will be no secrets kept. We are all in this together. Four is that we live together, we die together. We support each other. As I said earlier, this team is now your family. I suggest you treat it as one. Three: we might not always win. Hell, no one _always_ wins. But we never give up. If we are defeated, if someone is better than us, we do not let that stop us. Rule two: the code of silence. I already mentioned it, but let me elaborate. Nothing said or done in this room is to be repeated to anyone outside. I don't care if it's your best bud; you keep quiet. Once we board my ship, no contact with anyone from your squads, your Jedi friends, your co-workers, family,_ anyone_, is allowed. We will be on radio silence. You will all be given new comms set on a different frequency and everything. No chances are being taken here.

"Rule number one is very simple: we succeed or die trying." Jia paused here to take another breath, her throat was starting to get a little scratchy. She pulled earbuds out of her backpack and handed one to everyone. "Put those in. They are to stay in all day, all night; even in the shower. They are waterproof so don't worry about them getting damaged. This is the quickest and easiest way to stay in contact with each other while separated. We leave in a few days. Get rested and get prepared. Before you go, any questions?"

"What do we address you by?" one of the "shinnies" asked.

"We usually call her annoying little _di'kut beroya*_, but you can call her anything you want," Wooley said to the younger trooper. He flinched away from Jia while he spoke when she slung her backpack at him.

"Jia works just fine for the time being," she answered. The trooper nodded once. Jia looked around. "Okay dismissed." Everyone turned to leave, but Jia called them back. "Oh, and one last thing. The reward, if we succeed, will be the satisfaction of saving a life. I would prefer if there were no screw-ups, but it is inevitable that a few will come our way. We work through them. We have a job to do. We do it good and we do it right.

"Now I get that some of you don't know me, some of you don't like me, most of you don't trust me. But you will follow me. And maybe you'll get out alive."

* * *

_*The translation is idiot bounty hunter. _

_I wasn't sure what language was spoken between Anakin and Watto when Anakin was on Tatooine, but from what research I did, I learned they both speak Huttese. So, it made sense that was the language. Wolffe's rules are going to start being referenced frequently, so keep an eye out for them. If you have any ideas, feel free to tell me._


	31. The Plan

**The Plan**

Jia brought up a map of the planet of Aar on the holo-projector. Cody, Rex, and Barriss were with her, helping refine the details of the plan.

"Here is where Crag Writ's prison, or whatever you feel like calling it, is," Jia said, pointing at a section on the east side of the map.

"And that's where Commander Tano will be?" Rex asked. Jia sighed.

"I hope so, but with my past experience, I've learned that missions that should be simple and easy, rarely ever are. There is a very big chance he has sold her to slavers, as he told Fett, Jr. There is also the chance, however much I hate to think so, that he has already killed her for whatever money Dount Cookoo has put out for a Jedi's head," she said.

"Count Dooku," Barriss corrected quietly.

"I prefer Dount Cookoo," Jia said. "Really describes the man perfectly. Anyways, we'll go in under darkness. We go in silently. None of that army, storming stuff you like to do." She gave Rex and Cody a hard look and they both sighed. "Once we're in, I'll take control of the doors and whatever security measures he has. One of you-" she looked at Rex and Cody again "-will hack the system and search recent money transfers."

"That's not a very complicated plan," Cody commented.

"It doesn't have to be," Jia said. "When you go off the radar, things that would usually take difficult planning, don't; if you know how to stay off the radar. Luckily for us, I do."

"What about the other clones?" Barriss asked.

"They're plan B," Jia said. "On the first job, it's always a good idea to take it easy, work out any kinks in the team. I know how Rex and Cody work, so they're the only ones participating if everything goes as planned. If not, the other clones are plan B. And plan C. And D. And E and F and G; you get the idea."

"Is there a plan M?" Rex asked.

"Yeah," Jia said looking up at him, her eyes innocently wide, and her voice unnaturally perky. "You die in plan M."

"I like plan M," Cody teased, chuckling. Rex opened his mouth to make a retort, but Jia silenced them with a look.

"Barriss, you and Lylla stay on the ship, as we discussed earlier," Jia said, turning to the Jedi. Barriss nodded.

"What's a civvie doing coming on this mission anyways?" Cody asked. "Does she have any battle experience or battle training?"

"She has a different point of view from everyone else that is coming, which will no doubt be useful," Jia said. She sighed and then continued. "Please try to play nice with her," she said to Rex and Cody. "She already feels awkward because she knows she's the only one who hasn't fought any battles and has never worked with the GAR. Don't make her feel any worse."

"Never," Cody said, shaking his head. Jia just narrowed her eyes at him and then left the room.

"She's very abrupt," Barriss observed.

"I forgot you haven't worked with her," Cody said. He turned to the Healer. "She's like that. But, she gets the job done; whatever the cost."

Barriss looked at him and nodded thoughtfully, chewing on her lip. Cody's eyes strayed briefly to her lip and then moved to the wall above her head. Standing, unseen right beside the doorway, was Jia. She smiled at the interaction between the Jedi and the clone, a plan already forming in her mind to…. _help them._

* * *

Jia sat in the quarters she was sharing with Barriss and Lylla until they left. She was looking through old files on her laptop, seeing if there was anything that could possibly help her. A knock on the door paused her in her studies and she pulled up the desktop screen.

"Unlocked," she said. The door slid open and Kix stepped in. Jia turned around and smiled at him. "Oh, hey."

Kix sat down on the bunk next to her, refusing to look at her. Jia knew right away something was wrong.

"What is it?" she asked him gently.

"Just wondering why I wasn't chosen as part of your little team," Kix muttered. Jia gave him a confused look.

"How'd you know?" she asked.

"There were other people in the room when you asked for permission to go hunting. Word travels," Kix said.

"Oh," was all Jia said. She bit her lip, torn between guilt and the want to tell Kix to leave her alone. Eventually she said, "You weren't chosen because the 501st needs you to keep them all patched up and healthy."

"You'll need a medic, too," Kix argued.

"That's what I have Jedi Offee for," Jia said, turning back to her computer. Kix grabbed her wrist, halting her movements. Jia looked down at his hand, forcing down her instinct to rip her wrist out of his grasp. She slowly slid off the bunk and walked to stand in front of him.

"I want to come," Kix said slowly.

"But I don't want you to," Jia told him, placing her hands on his shoulders. Hurt and anger flashed across Kix's face; and Jia didn't miss it.

"Fine," he snapped. He roughly pushed Jia's hands off his shoulders and stood up. "I'll go back to the _people who need me_." He spat the words at her. Jia startled away from him, surprised by his sudden anger.

"God, Kix," she exploded at him, losing hold of her emotions in front of someone for the first time in a long time. "Are you so thick-skulled that you can't see the reason? I don't want you to come because I don't want to see you get hurt. I already had to watch my teammates blow themselves up to save me and my siblings die in front of me. If I had to watch you die, too, or if I knew it was my fault you were dead, I would probably go crazy. Do you not see I didn't choose you because I care about you too much?"

Kix froze at that and looked at Jia, confused.

"You care about me?" he asked, clearly not used to hearing that.

"Yes, Kix," Jia said, exasperated. "So much that I can't risk having you killed. I just can't. _That's_ why I didn't choose you."

Kix looked at a loss for what to say, and Jia smiled at how unfamiliar and awkward the clones could be around females. Sparing him the need to formulate a response, she stretched up and gently kissed him on the cheek.

"Stay," she said. She stared deep into his amber eyes. "Please, stay. For me, if nothing else." When Kix didn't say anything, Jia tipped her head to the side and looked at him from under her eyebrows. "You wouldn't be able to track or follow my ship, even if you tried," she pointed out. Kix sighed, giving in. Jia smiled and gave him another kiss on the cheek, before turning to go find Lylla.

* * *

Cody let out a hiss of frustration and Barriss looked over at him curiously. Jia had tasked the two of them to work together while coming up with aliases they could use on a moment's notice.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'd much rather just shoot whoever it is that might compromise our mission than make up an entirely different person," Cody said.

"It's not that hard," Barriss comforted. She scooted closer to Cody, showing him the three identities she had already come up with for any of the clones. "Just be creative."

"With all due respect, Commander-," Cody was cut off by Barriss.

"No ranks, remember?" she corrected his mistake. "Just Barriss."

"You're still technically my commanding officer," Cody argued. Barriss set outside the datapad she had been working on.

"Actually, according to Jia, you outrank me on this mission," she said, her mouth turning up in a small smile.

"Don't know why she did that. Just makes everything more confusing," Cody muttered. Barriss looked thoughtful.

"She doesn't seem to get along well with the Jedi. Or the Senate, now that I think about it," she said. "I think she would prefer that the clones run this war, without any influence from the Jedi or the Senate."

Cody just grunted and turned his attention back to his datapad, ideas suddenly racing through his mind. Before long, he had more aliases made than Barriss. About an hour later, Jia came to check on them.

"How's everything going?" she asked, poking her head into the room.

"Seventeen, all together," Cody answered, looking up at Jia. She seemed incredibly excited about something. Barriss picked up on it, too.

"What now?" Cody asked with a sigh.

"We're ahead of schedule and everything is fitting together better than I thought," Jia explained in a rush. "Plus, I haven't been on an actual mission in forever. I haven't been in charge of one ever."

"That's a comforting thought," Barriss teased. Jia smiled at her, and then she was gone in a flash of black clothing and golden hair.

"She's very child-like," Barriss commented to Cody.

"You should see her when she gets hyper," Cody muttered. "Or the first day she was with us. She had us chasing her all over the _Resolute_." Barriss laughed quietly, imagining very clearly Jia playing cat-and-mouse with the clones.

"I think she was forced to grow up too quickly," Barriss said after many moments. Cody raised an eyebrow to indicate he was listening. "She sometimes acts very much like most of the younglings at the Temple. I think that most of her matured, but she clings to the part of her life where she was able to be hyperactive and crazy-happy for no reason."

"It would explain a lot," Cody said. They lapsed in a comfortable silence, losing track of time as they worked side-by-side.

* * *

Lylla tipped her head to the side as she studied the inside of Jia's small, cozy, messy ship. She had been tasked with refurbishing it to make sure everyone fit comfortably. Jia had given her permission to touch, change, move, do anything to any room except the computer room. She had said that room was off-limits for the time being.

She sighed. At least she was good at _something_. She had no idea why Jia had asked her to come on this trip. _Mission_, she corrected herself. _Mission, not trip._ Although, she had to admit she was excited to see more of the galaxy. Sure, she had seen pictures of different planets in school and from the stories her grandfather had told her when she was little, but she had never been off planet. In fact, she had never been to the other side of Coruscant until she had met Jia.

Her comlink beeped twice, interrupting her studies. She debated whether to answer the call or not, and then realizing it might be Jia, flipped it on.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Where the hell did you go?" Pyra snapped. "You left me here to clean your house all by myself."

"You are the one who made the mess," Lylla pointed out. Pyra just let out a noisy sigh.

"Fine. But you owe me a shopping trip," Pyra said after a moment.

"I won't be able to go on a shopping trip with you for a while," Lylla said. "I'm on some mission with the Republic."

"Oooh," Pyra squealed, sensing a story that would make good gossip later. "Are you helping more of our cute soldier friends?"

"I'm not allowed to say," Lylla sighed. "And, as much as I would love to talk, I'm really busy."

"Right, okay," Pyra said. Lylla groaned inwardly as she imagined the rumors Pyra would spread. "Well, talk to you sometimes."

"Love ya like a sis," Lylla said.

"LYLAS," Pyra said with a smile, using the acronym the girls had created for their usual good-bye statement to each other. Lylla blew a kiss to Pyra and then shut off her comlink. _No more distractions,_ she decided. _Let's get this thing done._

* * *

Jia looked at everything over and over. Double-checking. Triple-checking. Quadruple-checking. Everything was there and set, ready for the mission, but she felt like she was forgetting something. Quickly, she closed her eyes and ran through Wolffe's rules; again.

…_.. twenty-one: know who your allies are. Twenty-two: know what to ask of them. Twenty-three: know how to contact them. Twenty-four: know when they might betray you. Twenty-five: never be afraid to ask for help from one of us….._

"Right," she muttered to herself. "One of us."

Then she stood up. That was it. One of them. Or more like seven of them. Jia opened up her laptop and spent a good part of the afternoon tracking them. She smiled proudly to herself at how difficult it was to find any evidence of them. Finally, she got the comm number of the leader. She took a deep breath and flicked her comm on, biting her lip as she waited for an answer. It came and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"You are using a restricted frequency. Identify," a rough, clone voice said. Jia smiled at the greeting.

"Hey, I hope you remember me," she said in a light, teasing voice.

"Jia?" the clone asked.

"It's me," Jia said. She bit her lip again before she continued. "Jax," she said in a soft voice. "I need your help."

* * *

_There are the rules I mentioned in the last chapter. And Jax is back! Well, not yet, but he will be. And the rest of the squad. Big thank you to Jay K. Elle for all the support and corrections. _


	32. Jax Is Back

_This is mainly just fluff while everyone finishes up the preparations for the mission. I don't know much about the Cuy'val Dar, never having read the books, but I did the best I could from other stories I've read and the little research I did. If I've made a mistake, please point it out._

**Jax Is Back**

Barriss looked up at the sound of footsteps, her eyes widening in shock as seven clones troopers, their armor painted completely black, walked into the room.

"You're not allowed in here. Who are you?" Cody started standing up. The trooper in the front took off his helmet and turned to face Cody.

"CT-1190-23," he said. "More commonly known as Jax."

"This room has been made off limits to anyone not part of Jia's team," Barriss said in her soft voice.

"Then it's a good thing we _are_ part of her team," Jax shot back. Cody opened his mouth to reprimand the young clone for being rude to a commanding officer, but was cut off by Jia as she flew into the room and threw herself at Jax.

"I missed you guys," she cried, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and then moving to give the other six a similar greeting. She was so happy to see them, she forgot, for a moment, to be annoyed at Jax.

"So what's all this about a secret mission?" Jax asked when she had settled down some.

"You get to help us track down and rescue a missing Jedi," Jia said, skipping in circles around the clones, not able to sit still at the moment.

"Great," Jax muttered. Jia refused to let his sour mood ruin her moment of happiness.

"It'll be great," she said, still skipping, "and I'll get to see how much better you guys have gotten."

"You pulled us away from a great explosion," Viz said, nodding his head to Jia in greeting.

"That's okay," Jia said brightly, still high on happiness. "We'll get to cause a lot more explosions on this mission."

Peixe laughed. "I forgot how crazy you could be."

Jia stopped skipping at that and stuck her tongue out at him, which caused him to laugh more.

"Oh, oh, you're never going to believe this," she said. She looped one arm through Viz's and another through Zjarr's and led them out into the hallway, talking excitedly as they went.

"Is that what you meant when you said "you should see her when she's hyper"?" Barriss asked Cody in a low voice. Cody nodded and Barriss laughed quietly.

"With all due respect, ma'am," Peixe said, "Jia is one of the best fighters I know. And I've seen some of the best."

Jax watched the conversation and then made a subtle hand gesture to Peixe, silently telling him to go track Jia to see what she was up to. Peixe nodded and slipped out the door. Cody watched curiously, and then shot a confused glance to Barriss, who gave a miniscule shrug.

"So, details on the mission," Jax said, pulling a chair up to the table where Cody and Barriss had been sitting.

"Jia didn't brief you on the mission?" Cody asked.

"If she had, me and my squad would have stayed to see the end of the explosion before we came," Jax retorted. Cody gave a small smile of amusement.

"Commander Tano, Padawan of Skywalker, was drugged and then kidnapped a couple days ago. Jia has put together a team to track her down and rescue her," Cody said, also sitting down.

"Of course she would do something like this," Ouro muttered. Jax gave him a sharp look and Ouro immediately silenced.

"So you are part of her team?" Jax asked.

"Yes. Me, Jedi Offee, nine other clones, one civilian, and Jia," Cody said. Jax nodded slowly, thoughtfully. Then he turned to go find Jia. He had some questions he wanted answers to.

* * *

"And then we went to this big shopping mall, and the little girl got the cutest little animal in the world. Oh, and I just got rescued from a group of bounty hunters. At first, being part of their team was fun, but then…..," Jia was talking a mile a minute, much to the amusement of Viz and Zjarr. Finally, when they weren't able to understand a word she was saying, Zjarr simply placed a gloved hand over her mouth. Jia looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"Sorry, but you've got me all confused," Zjarr said, removing his hand from Jia's mouth. Jia laughed, her eyes lighting up. It felt good to be with friends again.

"Hey, so I want to see how good you've gotten," Jia said. "How 'bout a fight in about an hour. We can gather an audience and everything!"

She was so excited that the two clones couldn't refuse her. Viz shot Zjarr a look, who shrugged and gave a nod. Jia knew them well enough to know exactly what their silent conversation meant.

"A fight with you? Who would want to miss it?" a teasing voice said. Peixe stepped out of the shadows and Jia smiled at him.

"I didn't even know you were there," she said. "Good job!" Even though they were long past their training, her praise still made Peixe swell with pride. Zjarr his Peixe in the shoulder.

"Show off," he muttered. Peixe just grinned at him. Jia smiled and gave Peixe another hug.

"Gosh, I didn't realize how much I missed you guys until now," she sighed.

"Don't go getting all sentimental on us, now," Jax growled, walking up behind the group. Jia made a face at him and then smiled. It felt familiar and right to be joking around like this. It felt normal. Jia's smile widened at that thought. _Normal, _she mentally laughed. _We'll never be normal._

* * *

Jia stood in facing Jax, breathing hard. Both had knives in their hands, and had blood dripping from somewhere. Thankfully, though, none of the cuts were deep. About half the clones in the barracks had gathered to watch the fight, most cheering on Jax.

"You've gotten better," Jia panted.

"I've been practicing," Jax said with a smirk. Jia stuck her tongue out at him and then quickly darted to the side, avoiding Jax's sudden attack. The clone whirled around to face Jia, but she was already behind him. She kicked the back of his knees, and his legs buckled. As he fell, Jax hooked an arm around Jia's wait, bringing her with him. She fell with a yelp, but amusement glinted in her eyes. Jax winked at her and then tried to cut her hair with his knife.

Jia blocked with her knife, the two making a echoing cling as they crashed. Jax applied more force, trying to make Jia's arm give. Jia ground her teeth as she felt her grip slipping. Not wanting to tire herself out too much, she relaxed her arm suddenly and the rolled backwards and sideways, throwing Jax off her.

The lights suddenly went out in the room, only to be replaced by the sudden white lights from the clone's helmets. Jia was temporarily blinded, and Jax took advantage of it. He leapt at her, tackling her to the ground. He went for her hair again, but Jia gave a violent twist and he ended up nicking her in the shoulder.

Suddenly, Jia was hit by a flashback.

* * *

_She was in back in Russia, the snow whipping around her, blinding her to her attacker. Her attacker leapt at her, knocking her into the deep snow, trying to slit her throat with the cleaver. Blinking the snow out of her eyes, Jia was momentarily shocked to see her attacker was a woman who looked to be about forty-five years old. _

"_I'm not your enemy," Jia cried. The woman continued with her brutal attack, sinking her cleaver into Jia's shoulder. _

"_Я не твой враг! (I'm not your enemy!)" she repeated, speaking in Russian this time. The woman ignored her. Jia felt panic starting to well up in her. She was off comms because they didn't work with all the snow clouds, and Eagle and Red were in the nearest settlement, which was about fifty miles away._

"_Ты лжешь! Вы работаете для него! Для этого убийцу человека! Я убью тебя, я буду! (You lie! You work for him! For that assassin man! I will kill you; I will!)," the enraged woman screeched. She grabbed a handful of Jia's hair, yanking her head back and exposing her neck._

"_Волк является моим врагом, тоже. Я помогу вам убить его. (Wolffe is my enemy, too. I will help you kill him)," Jia said, now desperate for a way out of the mess she had gotten herself into. With another enraged screech, the woman brought the cleaver down on Jia's other shoulder._

_Jia cried out in pain and twisted to her side and then rolled backwards, bucking up; doing everything she could to get the woman off her. _

"_Я убью тебя! Он убил мою дочь. Он должен знать боли. (I will kill you! He killed my daughter. He must know the pain.)," the woman hissed. She ran her cold hands down Jia's face, her long nails just barely skimming Jia's skin. "Так красиво. Как и моя дочь.Стыду я должен убить тебя. (So beautiful. Like my daughter. A shame I have to kill you.)," the woman murmured. She seemed to be talking her herself. And then she raised the cleaver and brought it down on Jia….._

* * *

Jia cried out in pain from the memory, causing Jax to recoil. He hadn't meant to hurt her _that_ much. He was confused when she didn't leap at him immediately. Instead, she curled herself into a ball, tucking her head in.

"Oh no," Barriss murmured. She knew a post-traumatic stress flashback when she saw one after working with the clones. She quickly made her way over to Jia's balled-up form. She placed a hand on Jia's shoulder, trying to use the Force to help soothe the girl, but found that for whatever reason, her efforts were repelled both by Jia's mind and her energy.

"Jia," she said quietly. "Jia, you're safe."

Jia started trembling violently as she slowly uncurled herself. She blinked and took many, deep breaths, trying to calm herself.

"He killed her daughter," she whispered to Barriss in a pained voice. "And then she tried to kill me, thinking he cared about me."

Barriss just gently stroked the girl's face, trying to calm her without having to worry about saying something to get her worked up again. While she was helping Jia, Jax and Viz made everyone leave, knowing Jia would never want anyone to see or remember her in a weakened state.

Finally, Jia pushed herself up into a sitting position. She was still shaking, though not as badly as before. Jax crouched down next to Barriss.

"I've never seen anyone flashback that badly," he said quietly.

"I can hear you, you know," Jia snapped. It would have been much more impressive if her voice hadn't been so frail.

"Are you okay now?" Jax asked her, his voice a bit gruff.

"I don't know, maybe," Jia said, venom in her voice.

"Good, because I want to finish beating you," Jax snapped. But Jia saw the teasing sparkle in his amber eyes. She raised an eyebrow.

"I'll work on not having flashbacks while fighting you," Jia retorted. Jax gave her one sharp nod and stood up, offering a hand to help her up. She accepted and he pulled her to her feet. She nodded her thanks and then turned to Barriss.

"Thanks," she said in a low voice. She looked at the Healer with a new light of respect in her eyes.

"You are a friend," Barriss said. Jia nodded and smiled, looking thoughtful.

"I don't have many friends," she commented, almost to herself. Barriss returned her smile.

"Well, you have one more."

* * *

Jia sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, a datapad in her hands. She had asked Lylla to figure out how to accommodate seven more people, and after much grumbling and complaining, Lylla had sent her the final sketches on how she was going to refurbish the ship. Jia had sent her back a reply telling her to go ahead and start.

Now she was trying to get some fresh air to clear her head and finish everything up. She was angry with herself for letting a memory take control of her. It happened often when she was asleep, but never had it happened when she was awake.

When she had first starting getting the nightmares, Red had set up a baby monitor in her room so he could wake her up. Swirl had done something similar when Jia had been adopted into her team. After Jia had left Swirl's team, though, she had had no one to wake her. Maddison always had a soothing energy about her and it would keep the nightmares away when Jia was with her, but Jia wasn't always with her.

Jia sighed and shifted. She could feel someone watching her.

"Are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna come talk to me?" she asked. Jax stepped out of the shadows and walked to join her. "You watch me a lot," Jia commented when he sat down next to her.

"Do I?" Jax asked in a bored voice. Jia elbowed him playfully.

"Sure, sure. Good job earlier, I'm sure you could've beaten me if I hadn't gone crazy," she said. Jax let out a breath of laughter and rolled his eyes. Then he looked at Jia.

"Does that happen a lot?" he asked. Jia looked at him in mock shock.

"Are you actually starting to care about me?" she said. She put both hands over her heart and pretended she was about to faint. "It's too much. I can't handle it."

"I'm trying to have a serious conversation," Jax growled, but his lips twitched as he fought a smile. Jia straightened up and gave into a fit of giggles.

"To answer your question, I don't usually have flashbacks while I'm actively doing something," Jia said.

"But….," Jax prompted

"But, if I am left alone too long with my thoughts or if I'm asleep, it does happen. A lot," she sighed. Jax didn't say anything, just looked at her with intelligent amber eyes.

"That happens to a lot of brothers, too," he said finally.

"Any of ours?" Jia asked, concerned. Jax noted the way she said "ours," like she was one of them.

"Ouro has really bad flashbacks sometimes," he admitted. "Usually from training."

"What other types of training did you guys get?" Jia asked. "I never saw anything other than your different tests and challenges."

"At first, there were a group of Mandalorians, gathered by Jango Fett, to train us. They were called Cuy'val Dar. Translation-," he was interrupted by Jia.

"Those who no longer exist. Yeah, I know that much. They were given that name because they had to disappear; no contact to the outside world for about ten years," she murmured. "That's a very long time."

"After their unemployment following the Battle of Geonosis, the Kaminoans hired bounty hunters to help them train us," Jax continued, shooting Jia an annoyed glance.

"Which is why Bric was there," Jia interrupted again. She chewed her lip thoughtfully. "He wasn't very nice to anyone. And the Kaminoans weren't, either."

"Yeah, well, try being trained by them. Originally, our squad had fifteen members," Jax said, sighing.

"Fifteen?" Jia was confused. "But there's only seven of you." Jax could see her doing the calculations in her head, trying to figure out what happened to the other eight.

"It's called live fire training," he said darkly. Jia was still as she processed that, and then her eyes widened.

"By God, Jax," she gasped. "Wolffe was hard on us; his training bordering on the edge of torture, but never did he shoot at us." Jax was silent for a moment, then he turned to Jia.

"What do you mean your training bordered on torture?" he asked. Jia sighed and hugged her legs.

"The one I remember most is a toxic truth serum he gave us. It was to test our tolerance to drugs and chemicals, and also to see how tough we were; how long it would take for us to break," she said.

"Toxic?" Jax questioned. He raised an eyebrow. "You don't look dead." Jia smiled at him and rolled her eyes.

"He had the antidote with him. If we broke or if the toxins started doing permanent damage to our bodies, he would administer it," she explained. She saw Jax open his mouth to ask another question, but cut him off, knowing what he was getting ready to ask. "We were given an envelope with a piece of paper in it. On the paper was a word. Wolffe didn't know what the word was. He would let us see the word, and then he burned the paper and the envelope. He never once saw the word. Then he would apply the serum and interrogate us." She rolled up her pant legs, and pointed to two, thin, barely-noticeable scars; and then pointed to her wrists. "He would tie us down so we couldn't move, making it more painful. The pain of the serum lasted for at most two days; the side-affects could last for weeks afterwards. But I was lucky."

"How so?" Jax asked.

"I have a very high pain tolerance and a very, very strong resistance to any type of drug, medication, chemical, toxin, etc. The pain only lasted about eighteen hours for me. Side-affects only lasted about four days," Jia said.

"What was your word?" Jax asked curiously. Jia laughed at that.

"Potato," she said, still laughing. "It's a vegetable, I think, from my planet."

"You went through all that to protect a vegetable?" Jax asked her incredulously.

"No," Jia said, rolling her eyes. "It was a pride thing; determination. I was given a challenge: keep the word a secret. That's what I did. I never told him, even after the interrogation."

"Hmm," was all Jax said. Jia looked at him.

"So, back to Ouro. What do you do? Just wake him up?" she asked.

"At one point, it got so bad we started slipping sedatives into his drinks so he would be able to sleep without suffering. One night we forgot, but he slept right through the night. I guess all it took was some time of not having any of the memories," Jax answered, thinking out loud at the same time.

"Poor Ouro," Jia murmured sympathetically.

"So what was your little episode about?" Jax asked after a couple moments. Jia shook her head and started to get up.

"Nothing," she said, suddenly wanting to desperately get out of there. With surprising reflexes, Jax stood up and grabbed her wrist just as she turned to walk away. He pulled Jia close to him, not letting go of her wrist. She tugged and pulled, trying to get loose.

"Stop it with your stuff," Jax growled. "You can't get out of this." Jia ceased in her struggling and stared up into his familiar eyes. Except, this time, instead of seeing annoyance in them, she saw something else.

"Jax, why don't you like me?" she asked, remembering all the trouble her had caused her when they had been on Kamino.

"I don't _not_ like you," he said.

"You sure don't act like it," Jia muttered, she opened her mouth to say something else, but was silenced when Jax kissed her. He kissed her the way he had acted towards her on Kamino; rough, angry, but passionate at the same time. Jia started to respond, but then she pulled away, remembering what had happened to the last two boys she had let kiss her. One had ended up dead, the other with a broken heart.

"Jax, I can't do this right now," she said. Instead of being angry, like she had expected, humor shown in his eyes.

"You're just scared of the consequences," he said. Jia blinked in shock. No one had ever been able to read her that easily. Not even Eagle or Jacob. Jia again tugged against his hold on her wrist, ignoring his comment.

"Please, Jax, don't make this any harder than it has to be," she pleaded. As she spoke, she thought of Jacob. The way his green eyes dared her, challenged her. The way his perfect teeth flashed against his tan skin when he smiled. The way her body would respond to his touches.

She looked at Jax again and saw the humor was still there. He released her and stepped back, watching her. Jia shook her head. Dealing with boys was so complicated. She turned to walk away again, but paused when she heard Jax's voice.

"For the record," he called to her. "I lied. I don't like you. But sometimes all you need is a nice distraction." Jia laughed silently to herself. Of course. He would never like her. But he would always be there for her. Especially when she needed it.


	33. Shopping Trip And Angel Concert

_Sorry about the delay. My parents have decided this is a great time for a divorce, so I've been really distracted by that. I'm pretty sure my writing is going to reflect that for the next few chapters, so just bear with me._

_Jia's ship is a key part in this chapter. I know I never really described it, so here's the description: small, black, spherical, with only about five rooms (living/bedroom/kitchen, dining-room-turned-gym, computer room, cockpit, and recently-added-medbay. Seven rooms if you count the closet and the refresher.). Imagine fitting twenty people in there (seventeen clones, a Jedi, a civilian, and an assassin) and the description is complete. _

_All songs referenced and/or sung in this chapter I got from Celtic Woman. The only language that is in this chapter, besides English, is Gaelic, courtesy of the songs from Celtic Woman. As always, let me know what you think._

**Shopping Trip And Angel Concert**

Jia walked down the Temple halls, Havet and Tenger behind her.

"What are we doing here?" Havet asked quietly.

"A friend of mine witnessed the kidnapping," Jia murmured. "I need to talk to her." She stopped at Maddison's dorm and knocked on the door. There was a pause and then it slid open. Jia stepped in, motioning for Havet and Tenger to stay out. Not waiting for a response, Jia closed the door behind her.

"Maddie?" she asked.

"She's not here," a voice said. Jia froze. The voice didn't belong to Maddison; it belonged to Jacob.

"Jacob," Jia said, blinking in surprise. She immediately went on guard. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Jacob said, pushing off where he had been leaning against the wall. His arms were crossed over his chest and he glared at Jia.

"I need to talk to her," Jia said. She was trying to remain calm, but she couldn't help but remember the last time Jacob had messed with her head, accidentally dredging up painful memories. Jacob slowly walked over so he stood in front of Jia.

"About what?" he asked in a low voice. Jia took a step back, and Jacob took another step forward.

"Nothing you need to know," she said as she took another step back. Jacob stepped forward again. And then Jia suddenly found herself backed up against the wall, Jacob in front of her, his arms on either side of her head.

"She doesn't know you're back, she doesn't know you're a traitor," Jacob said. "She doesn't need to know." Jia's eyes flashed.

"I'm not a traitor," she snapped. Jacob ran his hands down her sides, causing her to shiver.

"So you say," he murmured. Jia looked at him in a mixture of hurt and disbelief.

"Everyone else has seemed to pretty much forgive me," she said. As she spoke, though, she thought of the betrayal in Rex's eyes, and the anger towards her from Fives. She hadn't gotten along very well with Anakin before the whole "betrayal," so that was nothing new.

"All your clone friends," Jacob said, moving his hands up to trace her jaw bone, barely touching her. Again, Jia shivered. "They were bound to forgive you. You didn't play them."

"It was to keep you safe!" Jia cried. Jacob pressed himself close to her, whispering directly in her ear.

"I don't need your protection, just like you don't need mine," he said. He stepped away from Jia, leaving her thoroughly befuddled.

"I'll talk to Maddison about whatever you need and get you her answers," he said. Jia just nodded, still trying to gather her thoughts.

"Jacob," she called as he started to walk away. Jacob paused and turned around half-way to look at her. "I did it because I loved you," she said quietly.

"I know," Jacob said. He looked at her. "And what about now?" Jia knew what he meant.

"I still love you," she said, nodding her head a little. Jacob nodded slowly.

"Well too bad," he snarled. Jia flinched away from him and he felt a little guilty. He hadn't meant to sound that mean. "I'll get you the answers you need, but after that I want you to leave me alone."

"You're the one that came to me," Jia pointed out.

"To stop you from hurting Maddison. You don't go near my cousin, or I will give you another scar," Jacob said. And Jia knew he meant his threat.

* * *

Jia walked into her newly refurbished ship, her eyes taking everything. Lylla had had her dresser, bed, and bedside table removed and now bunk beds could be unfolded from the wall, five on top of each other.

The refresher had been enlarged a little, with another sink added, so there was now enough room for everyone's toiletries. A low table had been placed in the center of the room with four sofas around it, comfortably seating everyone at the same time. An upscale, medium-sized, holo-projector was stored under the table, there whenever someone needed to use it.

A computer screen could be unrolled from the ceiling of the room and hooked up to any one of Jia's computers and her phone. The lighting of the entire ship had been altered. Instead of it being dim, yellow lights, each room had a different colored fluorescent light that lined where the ceiling and wall met, and the wall and floor met; including the computer room.

"You really did change everything," Jia said, plopping down on one of the sofas, enjoying the way she sank down into the cushion.

"I made them make the cooking unit bigger, so now there's more room to store food and things. I also had a closet installed inside the cockpit, where you can put all the things you're not using," Lylla said. It was obvious she was proud of herself. "Oh, and instead of a dining room, I had it changed into an exercise room. Machines and weights and things for the clones, a one lane swimming pool for us girls….. and the clones, I guess. Not to mention extra floor space for, I don't know, dancing or wrestling matches or something."

"Oh my, God, Lylla," Jia squealed, jumping up and down excitedly. Then she realized something and stopped jumping. "This room seems smaller than it was originally." Lylla raised an eyebrow at Jia.

"Jedi Offee-" she wasn't yet comfortable calling Barriss by her first name "-is really going to like this." She led them over towards one of the walls and suddenly part of the wall slid to the side, revealing a small, but state-of-the-art medbay.

"A hidden room," Jia said, nodding her approval. "You know I'm all for secrecy." Lylla laughed at that and shoved Jia towards the cockpit.

"Now, hurry up and get this thing flying," she said. "Before I change my mind and decide I want to go home." Jia stuck her tongue out at Lylla and skipped into the cockpit.

"You might want to sit down," she heard Jax mutter.

"Why?" Wooley asked.

"This girl can't fly a ship to save her life," Tenger chimed in, sinking down onto the sofa.

"I can hear you," Jia called.

"Good," Jax snapped.

"Good," Jia mimicked him. She ducked as Jax threw what looked like an emergency flare at her head. "Stop throwing crap around my newly refurbished ship," she said.

"Stop mocking me," Jax retorted. Jia opened her mouth to snap back, when Lylla pushed past her and sat down in the pilot's seat.

"Just fly this stupid thing," she sighed.

"Fine," Jia said, pushing her out of the chair. Lylla fell onto the ground with a thud, and Jia bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. She turned on her ship and felt it silently come to life around her. Much like her gun, her ship was as silent as she was; and just as deadly.

She took off and within seconds they were off-planet and out of the atmosphere.

"That was quick," Lylla commented.

"I only use the best," Jia murmured, turning the ship around and heading back towards the planet.

"Uhhh, okay, now what are you doing?" Lylla asked, leaning over Jia's shoulder.

"A good operative always has multiple disguises on hand," Jia explained. "I have disguises for me. They might fit you and Barriss. But the clones? They need something other than their armor."

"So we're taking them shopping?" Lylla asked.

"Yes," Jia said, smiling up at her.

"You're insane," Viz groaned from the "living room."

"So I've been told," Jia said as she flew down into the Underworld.

"The Underworld?" Zjarr asked.

"It won't look as suspicious down here if we buy a bucket-load of guns as it would up on the upper levels," Jia said with a sigh. Everyone else was silent as Jia landed her ship and shut it off.

"Okay, now before we go, we need to figure this out," she said. "Campfire, everyone."

Hesitantly, all the clones joined her, Lylla, and Barriss on the four sofas around the coffee table.

"Okay, so here's how this'll work. Lylla and Barriss are going to go out to get the clothes. One clone goes with them each. All of you are the same size, so we'll just buy seventeen of each," Jia said.

"What about you?" Jax asked, getting the question out before anyone else could.

"I have some business of _personal_ matters to attend to," Jia said. She reached into the backpack she had leaned against the side of the sofa and pulled out a small, black, plastic box. She opened it and handed a small, plastic device to everyone. "Tuck it in your boot, your hair, stick it in your bra; just make sure you have that on you," Jia instructed.

"What is it?" Lylla asked, tucking it into the center of the small bun she had piled on top of her head.

"Undetectable, very concealable tracking device," Jia said, also taking one. She pulled back the heel of her boot and carefully placed the device in it. "If anything should happen, and trust me when I say things tend to happen when I'm around, just tune into the frequency the tracker gives off, and you'll be able to track _and_ listen." She looked around for a moment and then stood up. "Barriss, I suggest losing the robes, hood, and lightsaber. It's a dead giveaway you're a Jedi. I have some clothes that'll probably fit you.

The clones that are going with Lylla and Barriss lose the armor. That, too is a dead giveaway that we're up to something. I think I have some pants or something that'll fit you." She went to the closet, dug around for a couple minutes, and then held two shirts and two pairs of cargo pants triumphantly in the air. After everyone was changed and settled into their cover, Jia smiled. "Let's go."

* * *

Jia checked and double-checked the address she had saved into her phone and then knocked on the door. There was some shuffling around inside the house and then the door cracked open, revealing a woman with pale, blue-stripped hair, much like Lylla's. Unlike Lylla though, this woman didn't look happy or like she smiled much.

"What?" the lady grunted.

"I'm here to speak to someone by the name of Syrus," Jia said. The lady looked disgruntled.

"Sy," she bellowed, turning back into the house, "you got a girl here to talk to you."

"If it's Janzane, tell her to go away," Syrus called back.

"It ain't no Janzane," the lady yelled. There was some grumbling and a moment later a boy who looked to be about Lylla's age replaced the lady. His mouth was half-open, as if he was about to tell Jia off, but then his eyes raked up and down her body for a moment. Finally he stepped to the side, letting her in.

"Thank you," Jia said politely. Syrus said nothing, just led her into his leaving room. Without waiting for permission, Jia sat down in one of the easy chairs and watched Syrus make himself comfortable on the sofa across from her. Moments later, Prima came padding into the living room. When she caught sight of Jia, she gave an excited yip and launched herself across the room.

"Oof," Jia gasped as all the air was knocked out of her when Prima hit her in the stomach.

"Sorry, 'bout that, sweetheart, she does that," Syrus said. He had no idea why Prima was acting the way she was.

"I know," Jia said. She gently pushed Prima off her lap and looked back up at Syrus, who was regarding her curiously.

"You do?" he asked.

"Yes, I am the one that got Prima for Maddison," Jia said. Syrus's eyes defocused as he tried to make the connections. When he didn't say anything, Jia held out her hand. "Jiana Sasha White."

"Syrus Reed," Syrus said, returning her handshake. He grinned at her in a goofy way that brought up bittersweet memories of Red. "So, you're _Jia_," he said. He raised an eyebrow. "Better looking than I imagined."

"Thank you, I think," Jia said, blinking.

"Well, when Maddison told me you had, and I quote, "scars all over the place," I mean….. scars usually take prettiness away," Syrus said, explaining as best he could. Jia laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, well I need a favor from you," she said. Syrus grinned again.

"Anything, sweetheart?" his eyes roamed her body again. "We might have to settle a price, though, depending on what it is." Jia ignored the way he was looking at her. Red used to look at her the same way, and before him, many of her male classmates. She was used to the look.

"I need you to return Prima to the Jedi Temple," Jia said.

"Any particular reason?" Syrus asked. He had actually taken a liking to the animal and wasn't eager to see her go.

"She is rightfully Maddison's and I'm pretty sure Maddison misses her as much as she misses Maddison," Jia said. Syrus sighed.

"Point taken," he said. Jia smiled and nodded. She started to get up, but Syrus called her back. "I think there might be a price for that."

"Oh, really, and what would that be?" Jia asked. Syrus stood up, grinning, and pressed himself close to Jia.

"I think you already know the answer, sweetheart," he rumbled. Jia ducked out of his grasp.

"Sorry, I'm already taken," she said with a smirk. Syrus laughed.

"Should have expected," he said. Jia smiled and patted him twice on the cheek, running her fingers over his lips. Syrus forced himself to keep control; he had heard stories both from Maddison and from Lylla about this girl. He wasn't exactly looking to get in a fight with her.

Still smiling, Jia turned and left, but not before giving Prima one last pat on the head. _One down, _she thought, _one to go_

* * *

Barriss walked beside Cody, feeling very self-conscious about her temporary attire. As Jia had said, there were some clothes that fit her, but just barely. The dark blue shirt hugged her body, defining every curve. It wasn't quite long enough to reach her hips, though, so a sliver of well-toned abs was revealed. The baggy cargo pants, though perfect for Jia's thick bones and broad frame, did nothing but slip off the Jedi's slim hips. Barriss was wishing very much she had a belt at the moment.

Her hair fell in thick waves, cascading over her shoulders and framing her face. Her blue eyes seemed accentuated because of the black hair. On Jia's request, via comlink, the tattoos she had decorating her face had been painted over with make-up. With the different clothes, the absence of the hood, and the covered tattoos, she looked almost unrecognizable. And Cody had a hard time keeping himself from staring.

"This is the first place Jia suggested," Barriss said quietly, coming to a halt outside a dingy, dirty, run-down building.

"This place?" Cody asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"For weapons," Barriss explained, glancing up at the clone commander.

"Doesn't she have enough?" Cody muttered, causing Barriss to give a tiny smile. "Besides, how are we going to pay for anything?"

"Jia said all we have to do is give the seller her name," Barriss said, sounding perplexed.

"Great idea," Cody grumbled as he followed Barriss into the building. "Give out a wanted assassin's name to a weapons dealer. And then maybe kill him." Barriss just slightly shook her head at him, yanked the pants up, pulled the shirt down, and took a tentative step through the door.

"Can I help you?" a soft, high-pitched voice said. Looking around, Barriss saw what looked to be a female Rodian practically glaring at her from behind one of the shelves.

"Yes," Barriss said. "I'm here for my friend. She's looking for many top-quality-" Cody could tell the Healer was at a loss for what to say and decided to step in.

"Her friend is looking to requisition any and all new versions you have on sniper rifles, pistols, and deecees," he said in a sharp, brusque tone. The same tone of voice he used to let the clones under his command know he wasn't messing around.

"Friend, huh?" the Rodian asked. She moved from behind the shelf, seeming to float across the floor, to stand about five feet away from Cody and Barriss. "Friend have a name?" Cody glanced down at Barriss. This was the opening they had needed. She gave a miniscule nod and he answered.

"Yes. Her name is Jiana." The Rodian just stared at him. Then she gave a snort of laughter.

"No person named Jiana come through here," she looked thoughtful all of a sudden. "There was a girl, almost seven or eight months ago, who came in here looking for multiple weapons of the type you requested. Gave her name out as Washa Shite." Cody quickly ran through the aliases he knew Jia had used, which was a very short list. And then he remembered the interrogation. The blanking out she went through. And then the name she gave. _Jiana Sasha White;_ _she left off her first name and switched around the beginning letters of her middle and last name._

"I believe that is her," Cody said after a couple moments.

"Washa Shite be your friend?" the Rodian asked. Cody gave one nod. The Rodian grinned a triumphant smile. "But you just say your friend's name be Jiana."

"That is her code name," Cody lied, thinking quickly. The lie was smooth and easy; he might as well have rehearsed it.

"I see," the Rodian was now scrutinizing Cody and Barriss. Cody waited impatiently for any other response when no other came he gave a silent sigh.

"Just let us get the weapons," he growled.

"Not so fast," the Rodian said, holding her hand up, stopping Cody as he tried to push past her. "How do I know you ain't lying?"

"You don't," Cody said, raising an eyebrow slightly. The Rodian let out another snort of laughter and then moved her hand out of his way. Cody held back an exasperated sigh. "Thank you."

He walked forward, looking over the weapons with an expert eye. While he was studying the guns, Barriss wandered over to the shelves piled with a different assortment of knives, swords, and whips. She ran her finger lightly over an eight-inch vibro-blade, imagining the damage Jia would be able to do with it. She picked it up and weighed it in her hand. For some odd reason, she felt very compelled to get the knife for the assassin girl. Then she sighed and put it back. Jia didn't need another weapon, let alone another knife.

"I'll have these delivered to the landing pad later this evening," the Rodian was saying as Barriss resumed her place at Cody's side. Cody nodded his head once in acknowledgement, and turned to leave, Barriss trailing after him. She felt like a new Padawan again; silent, observant, following. It felt a little strange.

"What did you get?" Barriss asked Cody as they made their way down to the next store on the list.

"Many things I think Jia will approve of, despite her dislike of guns," Cody said, smiling slightly. He looked down at Barriss and raised an eyebrow cheekily. "Weren't you paying attention?" Barriss's cheeks tinted a darker green in embarrassment. She was supposed to be on top of things, paying attention to everything. When she didn't respond, Cody chuckled quietly to himself.

* * *

Jia stepped off the public transport and onto one of the platform of the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center. Two clones walked up to her.

"I need to see identification," one of them said. Jia sighed dramatically and pulled out a fake I.D. She held it up so the two clones could see. They inspected it for a moment and then stepped aside, allowing her to proceed into the detention center.

She walked up to another clone that was some ways inside the door and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to face her.

"Yes, ma'am," he asked.

"I would like to see my friend, but I can't find him," Jia fake-whined. She made a pouty face, sticking out her lower lip.

"Who are you looking for, ma'am?" the clone asked.

"His name is Boba Fett," Jia said, widening her eyes innocently and looking at the clone from under her eyelashes.

"What is your relation to him, ma'am?" the clone sounded suspicious now. Jia let out a noisy sigh and rolled her eyes.

"I _told_ you that he's my friend," Jia said. She got a sultry smile on her face. "If you know what I mean." The clone was still and silent for a moment and then he led Jia onto a hovercraft. He flew it to one of the cells and deactivated the ray shield.

"Here you go, ma'am," he said. "I'll just leave you two alone."

"Baby, I've missed you so much," Jia said, throwing herself at Boba. He caught her and fell back hard onto his bunk, looking very surprised.

"What the hell?" he asked after a moment, pushing Jia off him. Jia resisted the urge to laugh.

"I had to keep up the act that you and me had been together until the clone left," she explained, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of him.

"Okay, so, what are you doing here?" Boba asked.

"I've come to break you out," Jia said. Boba raised his eyebrows, silently saying '_you're crazy._'

"Really?" he asked, sounding as if he didn't believe it.

"Truly and honestly," Jia said, meeting his gaze levelly.

"You truly are insane," Boba muttered. Jia laughed at that.

"I know," she said. She stood up and so did Boba.

"So, how do you plan to get me out of here?" Boba asked her. He sounded somewhat curious; as if he thought maybe she actually was going to break him out.

"Walk you out the front doors," Jia answered. Boba let out a snort of harsh laughter.

"Yeah, that'll work beautifully," he said sarcastically. Jia pulled her backup gun out of her boot and tossed it to him.

"Actually, it will," she said. She nodded at the gun. "Point that at me and threaten to kill me if anyone tries to stop you from leaving. There's a dark blue, open-air speeder on the main landing platform. I've already hotwired it. That's your getaway vehicle. You keep me at gunpoint until we are in the Underworld. You threaten to kill me until the clones are ordered to stand down."

"And if they don't believe that I will shoot you?" Boba asked. He was starting to believe her crazy plan might actually work. Jia patted her thigh.

"Shoot me here," she said. When Boba widened his eyes in shock, she smiled a little. "I have laser protection on," she explained. "And don't worry: I've been shot enough times to know how to act the part." Boba was nodding slowly, his amber eyes flicking back and forth between Jia's face and the gun in his hand as he thought.

"That might work," he said somewhat hesitantly. Jia grinned.

"Good," she said. "Oh, and, when we get to the underworld, I want my gun back."

"I don't know; this is a pretty nice gun," Boba said.

"Don't you dare even _think_ about taking my gun," Jia growled. Boba smiled at her and then held up the gun, pointing it at the center of her forehead. Jia let out a blood-curling scream and started breathing heavily. Within seconds, multiple hovercrafts full of the prison guards were at the cell.

"I don't know what happened," Jia blubbered. "One minute we were talking, and the next he grabbed my gun and threatened to kill me." Tears started rolling down her cheeks and her pupils dilated. Boba was impressed.

"Lower the gun," one of the clones ordered. He and the rest of the guards all had their guns raised and pointed at Boba.

"You shoot at me, I'll kill her," Boba snarled, sounding exactly like a psychopath that would do something like this.

"Please don't kill me!" Jia screeched. The tears started coming faster. "I don't want to die. I have a daughter to take care of! Please no. Please, please….." The clones were still for a moment and then the lead one sighed.

"Stand down," he said. The others followed his lead, lowering their weapons.

"Good," Boba sneered. "Now, you let me out of here. Nice and easy. And if you don't…." He moved the gun from Jia's forehead and shot her in the leg. She let out another scream and fell back against the wall. Boba raised the gun back up to Jia's forehead and turned to the clones. "What's it gonna be?"

Silently, the clones stepped aside, allowing him access to one of the hovercrafts.

"Move," Boba snarled, yanking Jia up off the ground and shoving the gun into her center back. Jia limped onto the hovercraft, tears still coming from her eyes. Boba placed himself strategically so he could fly the hovercraft but still have the gun to Jia.

"Please, please, just let me go," Jia whimpered. "Please."

"Not until I'm out," Boba growled. He smacked Jia across her face and she fell into the side railing, clutching her face with one hand. They made their way to the main doors where they were stopped by another group of guards. Boba smirked. "I'll tell you the same thing I told the other guards. You let me go or I kill her."

The clones didn't move and Jia played the daughter card.

"Please just let him free," she cried. "I have a child I need to take care of. She's only a few months old. She'll die without me."

"She has a daughter," Boba repeated. Slowly, the clones parted. As Jia had said, there was a dark blue, open-air speeder on the platform, ready to go. He led Jia over to it and roughly shoved her into it. "Get in."

Jia made quite a show of falling against the side of the speeder. She let out a yelp and sank to the ground. When Boba raised his hand to hit her again, she scrambled up and into the speeder, falling sideways into the seat. Boba walked around to the other side and jumped in. He took off and flew straight to the Underworld.

He flew the speeder deeper and deeper into it. The farther down he got, the more on guard went. Finally, he stopped at a bar. Jia hopped easily out of the speeder and Boba followed suit.

"Good job," he complemented her. Jia rolled her eyes.

"Please," she said. "Acting like that is how I _survive._" She held a hand out. "Gun, please." Boba sighed and looked down at the gun in her hand. After a couple seconds he tossed it over the speeder to her. Jia smirked at him and stuck it back in her boot. Boba looked at her for a moment, and then turned and started walking towards the bar.

"Hey," Jia called after him. She waited until he had stopped and turned around to face her again. "You owe me, like, five. I just pretty much saved your life."

"I owe you one," Boba corrected.

"You shot me in the leg," Jia reminded him. He sighed.

"Fine, two."

"And you kept me in electrocuted shackles." Boba let out another sigh.

"Three."

"And you-," Jia was cut off by Boba.

"Okay, okay; five favors." Jia smirked victoriously.

"Oh, and, Baldy," she stopped him again.

"What?" he asked, clearly annoyed. Jia's smirk widened.

"The money I stole is still on your ship." With that, she turned and climbed back into the speeder.

* * *

Lylla and Jax worked their way through a throng of people, approaching the third store on the list Jia had given them. Lylla saw other girls her age, and older, eyeing Jax in a way she could tell made him slightly uncomfortable. She looked down so he wouldn't see her smile, but somehow he saw it anyways.

"You think this is funny?" Jax growled. Lylla looked up at him from under her eyelashes, widening her eyes innocently, and nodded. Jax gave another growl and Lylla openly laughed. She glanced around, noticing the way that they seemed to be in the "happy couples" part of the Underworld. She laced her fingers through his and pulled him closer to her.

"What _are_ you doing?" Jax asked.

"Look around," Lylla said in a low voice. "Everyone here is with someone. We need to blend in."

"Been taking Assassin 101 lessons from Jia?" Jax muttered sarcastically.

"It's basic logic. To blend in, do what the crowd's doing," Lylla said with an eye roll. Jax's lips quirked up in an amused smile, but Lylla was too busy observing the crowd to notice.

"Here, look," she said, stopping so abruptly she caused Jax to stumble a little. "This is the place where we're supposed to get some of the clothing." Jax looked the store over with a critical eye. It was actually a nice store, compared to the other two stores they had been to. Lylla tugged on his hand a little. "Come on. The quicker we get in, the quicker we can get this done."

She pulled him into the store, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw what the store sold.

"It's a _make-up _store, not a clothes store," she gasped. Jax rolled his eyes at her.

"Really?" he snorted. "I couldn't tell." Lylla ignored him and ventured further into the store.

"This is amazing," she murmured, almost to herself. Jax opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it and snapped his mouths shut again. He watched Lylla walk through the displays and racks, her fingers trailing over the different types of make-up they had. The desk clerk scurried up to her, bowing his head politely.

"Can I help you?" he asked. Lylla turned and gave him a flirty smile.

"I'm looking for multiple different types of make-up," she said in an unusually high, sweet voice. She pulled her datapad out of her purse and brought up the (long) list of make-up she had made while refurbishing and exploring Jia's ship. The clerk leaned down and skimmed over the list and then stood back up.

"We have everything you're looking for," he said to Lylla. "The best quality of the majority of these things are over here." He led Lylla through the store to one of the walls, which was lined with most every kind of make-up. Lylla stared in awe at all the make-up.

"Pyra is gonna be _so_ jealous when she hears about this," she murmured to herself. The clerk looked at her curiously.

"Did you say something?" he asked her. Lylla started slightly and looked up at him.

"What? No," she said with a bright smile. "Just thinking out loud." Jax was impressed at her quick thinking and easy lying. He had assumed civilians were slow and dim-witted. Lylla was quickly proving him wrong.

As the clerk led her towards the back of the store, she turned to look back at Jax over her shoulder.

"Come on," she mouthed. He remained still for a moment, but then followed, keeping a distance. Lylla looked back at him again and rolled her eyes at him. Jax allowed himself a small smile. He closed the distance a little, but gave Lylla enough room to keep up her act. While she talked make-up with the clerk, he pretended to be interested in the people passing by the window. And then something caught his eye.

Looking closer, Jax saw a girl, only twelve or thirteen, pushing people aside with a sort of desperation. Every few seconds she would look behind her, obviously checking for someone. He didn't have to see the deathly fear in her eyes to know she was scared. Deciding quickly, he searched for Lylla and saw her back over at the first display the clerk had shown her. He swiftly made his way over to her.

He briskly thought of a way to tell Lylla they needed to go without blowing the cover she had quickly crafted. He decided acting as lovers was the best way.

"Baby, we need to go," he said, tapping her on the shoulder. Lylla looked up at him with a startled expression.

"But, I need to get my make-up," she said, sounding exactly like the stuck-up brat Jia had told her to be. Jax was impressed.

"I said we need to go," his tone brokered no argument. "Now." He took hold of Lylla's wrist and started dragging her out of the store. She jogged/stumbled to keep up with him. She looked over her shoulder at the clerk.

"Sorry," she called. "I'll be back later when he-" she jerked her head in Jax's direction "-isn't going to get in my way."

With that, Jax pulled her out the door, leaving the clerk staring after them with disappointment. When they got outside, Jax didn't release Lylla's wrist, following the path the running girl had taken.

"Where are we going?" Lylla asked, stumbling again. She was slightly breathless from the fast pace, but still managed to sound puzzled.

"Somewhere," Jax muttered. One of the lessons learned from Jia was that sometimes, the only answer needed was given in a tone that said 'no more questions.' Lylla got the message.

"Can you at least tell me what's going on?" Maybe not.

"Just shut up and stick close," Jax snapped, letting go of her wrist and picking up the speed. Lylla let out a noisy sigh and rolled her eyes, but did as he said. It was only a few minutes before Jax caught sight of the running girl again. She was zigzagging her way across a busy pedestrian intersection, constantly looking over her shoulder. Jax broke into a run.

"Hey," Lylla objected. When Jax ignored her, she sprinted after him, having a difficult time keeping up. Jax slowed back down to a walk when he was about five feet away from the girl; and Lylla ran right into the back of him. She started falling back, but Jax spun around and caught her arm before she hit the ground.

"Watch where you're going," he grumbled. He started walking towards the running girl again, who was leaning against the wall of a building, breathing heavily and looking around with fear-filled eyes. When she saw Jax approaching, she pushed off the wall and took off again.

Resisting the urge to yell after her, Jax broke back into a run.

"Not again," Lylla groaned. Not wanting to chase after Jax again, she looked around. She spotted a speeder bike left parked carelessly next to a pub. She wove her way through the crowd until she got over to the bike. She sat down on it, looking for a way to start it. There was a magnetic strip that Lylla recognized as the ignition point. The counterpart to the strip was needed to start the bike. Lylla sighed and slammed her hands down onto the bike. She almost fell off it in shock when she felt it rumble to life beneath her. "Perfect," she sighed in relief.

She took off into the sky, searching for Jax and the girl he was chasing after. She spotted them fairly easily and sped ahead. Jax was gaining fairly quickly on the girl, but Lylla decided he needed some help. She swung the bike to the side and then slammed to a halt in the girl's path. The girl reared back in surprise and turned in circles, looking for a way out.

Her seconds-long stop was what Jax needed. He skidded to a halt in front of the girl, and she flinched away from him. Now that he was up close to her, he saw that she was a Zeltron. Her skin was a light pink and her hair was a bright red that fell in tight curls down to her shoulders. She wore a very tight, revealing outfit that looked inappropriate for someone her age.

Lylla jumped down from the speeder and came to stand beside Jax. She rested her hands gently on the girls shoulder, trying to tell her with her eyes that she meant no harm.

"Tell me what's wrong, honey," she said in soft, soothing voice. The girl looked around frantically, the fear in her eyes increasing rather than decreasing.

"You don't understand," she gasped. "I have to get away from him. He's hunting me. I barely escaped. If he catches me, he'll kill me." Her words sent Jax on edge and he rested his hand on the pistol he had holstered on his right hip. Lylla glanced up at him, catching his gaze. Jax took a moment to notice what a nice color brown her eyes were before he went back to his surveillance of the people brushing and bustling past them.

"Who?" Lylla asked. She tucked a strand of curly hair behind the girl's ear, a gesture meant to comfort. Instead, the girl tensed and cowered away from Lylla.

"He'll kill me if I tell," she whispered after a moment. She squeezed her eyes closed and remained tense. Lylla was confused. What did the girl expect her to do?

"Honey, I'm not going to hurt you," she said, trying to figure out why the girl was acting so strangely.

"They all promise that, and I always come away with more marks," the girl spat. Then she turned her fearful eyes on Lylla and started trembling. Lylla ran the back of her hand down the girl's face, trying again to calm her. She looked up at Jax again, and he shrugged slightly, silently telling her he was as lost as she was.

Then his head snapped up and he spun around. The three months of training with Jia had paid off well in the battle field. Many squads lost members in the first few battles, but not his squad. They always made it out alive; every single one of them. Now he was just as grateful for the training. Jia had ingrained a "danger-sense" into each of them. The training for that had been the worst; the most brutal. They all had scars from that. The one thing he hadn't told Jia that night when they were talking about their training was that the nightmares Ouro had, came from her.

As he looked around, he felt the sense tingling. The girl was right, someone was after her; he could tell that much. He couldn't tell, though, who it was. Many "shady" people were lurking around. He wasn't that much surprised. They _were_ in the Underworld. And then he felt Lylla bump him gently with her hip.

"Black suit, you're two' o' clock," she murmured. He looked to where she said and saw a man in a black suit, just as she had described, looking around. Jax didn't know what it was, but something in the way the man walked, the way people either scurried out of his way or glared at him, told him that this was the man the girl was running from.

"Get ready," he said in a low voice to Lylla. "This is about to get ugly."

"Jax….," Lylla said in a warning tone, but it was too late. Jax took careful aim and shot at the man. People scrambled out of the way of the blast, screaming. Jax snorted to himself. Civilians were such wimps. The man stared at the blaster shot that barely missed him in shock, and then whipped out a blaster. He shot randomly in Jax's general direction, not caring if he hit someone.

As shots rained down on them, Lylla led the girl to the other side of the speeder and crouched there with her.

"That's the man," she girl whispered. Lylla could almost smell the fear rolling off her. "He's the one that's after me."

"He won't get you, honey," Lylla assured. The girl turned scoffing eyes on her.

"You don't get it, do you?" she asked. "He's after me particularly. He wants me for his business. You don't know how many people he's killed to get me. Your friend shooting at him won't stop him." Lylla gave a small, reassuring smile.

"But see, here's the thing about my friend," she said softly. "He's no ordinary man. My friend happens to be a clone trooper in the Republic Army." The girl gasped in shock and turned to look at Jax, who was returning fire.

"But how will that help?" the girl asked after a moment. Lylla took her smaller hand in her own and squeezed it gently.

"He was trained by another one of my friends; an assassin. When he really wants to hit his target, he never misses," she said, using the same steady, soft voice that she had used on Maddison when the little girl had had an emotional breakdown during the months she had been living with Lylla.

"You have an assassin friend?" the girl gasped, her eyes widening even more.

"She is a good assassin," Lylla said, suddenly going on the defensive, ready to try and protect Jia against whatever verbal assault this girl had in mind. But instead, the girl smiled a small, hesitant smile.

"Maybe that will stop my master," she murmured. Lylla's brow furrowed together in confusion.

"Master?" she inquired. The girl opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly Jax yanked them up from the ground only to flatten them back to it a few feet away from the bike. An explosion ripped through the bike, sending twisted pieces of metal and broken pieces of cement into the air.

"Bomb," Jax explained, his voice muffled because his mouth was pressed against Lylla's shoulder.

"I can see that," Lylla returned, shooting him an annoyed glance. "Is trigger-happy dead?"

"I hope so. I shot him, like, twelve times before he went down," Jax muttered. Lylla gave a snort of laughter.

"Is he really dead?" the girl whispered. For the first time, Lylla saw the fear starting to leave her eyes.

"He's really dead," Jax confirmed, standing up to double-check. The girl breathed a sigh of relief. Jax reached down and helped Lylla up off the ground and then picked up the girl.

"So," Lylla said. "What's your name?" The girl rolled her eyes.

"The name I'm _supposed _to introduce myself as is Nicki," she said.

"But…," Jax prompted her.

"My actual name is Anela," the girl said.

"Anela," Lylla repeated thoughtfully. It was uncommon, but had a soft tone to it; it actually reminded her of Jia's full first name.

"So, Anela," Jax said, a bit gruffly. Anela flinched away from him and he immediately softened his tone. "Care to tell us why you were running?"

"Not really," Anela muttered. Jax opened his mouth to argue, but Lylla elbowed him, stopping him before he could get a word out.

"That's okay," she said. She smiled at Anela. "We were just doing some shopping before my friend here decided to run off. How would you like to go look at some make-up?"

"Really?" Anela sounded skeptical; as if this was just a cruel joke that Lylla would take back.

"Of course. That's what I need to buy. My _friend-_" the word was said sarcastically and Jax smiled to himself "-can wait outside the store if he has an issue with it."

"Won't he hurt you?" Anela asked. Jax snapped his head around to look at her. Where in the frak had that question come from?

"Why would he do that?" Lylla was puzzled. Anela looked apologetic and embarrassed.

"It's just, all the girls back at the club would tell me that whenever they tried to do something their man didn't approve of, they would get…..," Anela trailed off, contemplating the best way to continue. "Hurt. They would get hurt."

"Well, Jax here isn't going to hurt me," Lylla said. She punched Jax in his shoulder causing him to stumble back. When he didn't retaliate, Lylla turned back to Anela. "See?" While her back was turned, Jax made some very unseemly hand gestures at her, causing Anela to giggle. Lylla whipped around in time to see the last gesture and she made it back at him. Jax openly laughed at that.

"Well, aren't we in a better mood," he said, still laughing. Anela looked outright shocked.

"So, are you coming or not?" Lylla asked, turning back to the young girl. Anela looked torn. She didn't want to just leave her friends at the club; but she wasn't exactly eager to go back. She looked from Jax, who was still laughing quietly, to Lylla, who cocked her hip and tipped her head to the side. Finally, she nodded.

"Jax," Lylla started, turning to the clone. He raised his eyebrows knowingly at her.

"Yes, I'll tell Jia since she's least likely to kill me," he said with an amused expression. Anela looked up at Lylla.

"Who's Jia?" she asked.

"My assassin friend," Lylla answered.

"Oh," Anela said. She looked like she was about to say something else, but remained silent. As she walked ahead with Lylla, she heard Jax talking to Jia.

"What now, Jax?" an annoyed, female voice said.

"Hey, before you kill me, let me tell you this is all Lylla's fault," Jax said. Lylla opened her mouth to protest, but then just rolled her eyes and closed her mouth.

"What did you do _now?_" Jia sounded exasperated. Jax looked at Anela, who glanced back at him with wide, aqua-colored eyes.

"We've, uh," the clone was having issues describing their predicament without telling the whole story. "Um, we've happened to, uh, pick up a, uh-"

"Jax," Jia snapped. "Spit it out."

"Well, Lylla and I have happened to, uh," he glanced at Anela again, "happened to pick up a, uh, new member of our team." There was silence on the other end.

"Can I speak to them?" Jia asked. Jax tossed the comlink to Lylla, who caught it and handed it to Anela.

"Yes?" Anela asked nervously. Lylla looked at her sympathetically. Jia wasn't always the easiest person to have a conversation with, especially over comlink.

"Are you the new member?" Jia asked.

"Yes," Anela answered, chewing her lip nervously.

"Do you think you could last in the life of a gypsy?" Jia asked after a moment. The question took all three of them by surprise.

"I think so," Anela said.

"Yes or no question," Jia pointed out.

"Y-yes," Anela stammered. Lylla decided to have a talk with Jia about her communication skills. More silence and then Jia finally responded.

"Welcome aboard. I hope you're ready for one hell of a ride."

* * *

Jia pulled the last trolley up the ramp and deposited the stuff onto the floor of the living room. She pushed back down the ramp to the man who stood below and tossed some credits after it.

"Is this the last one?" she asked.

"Yes," Lylla and Barriss answered at the same time. The two girls looked at each other for a moment and then Lylla offered a tentative smile.

"Thank the Lord," Jia muttered, falling against the wall with an exhausted sigh. Then she moved over to the coffee table where her laptop was sitting, dormant for the moment. "Now, I just have to log all this stuff into the inventory list I keep, and then we can put this all away."

"You keep an inventory?" one of the "shinnies" asked, surprised. Jia looked at him with a 'duh' look on her face.

"Of course I do," she said as if it should have been obvious. The shiny didn't say anything and Jia went back to her inventory-ing. "So, what's your name, newbie?" she asked after a moment. The "shiny" looked up.

"Uh, Vuur, ma'am," the "shiny" said. Jia sighed.

"Jax, tell our new friend Vuur over there what we don't do," she said. Jax smiled in amusement but also felt a stab of pity for the younger clone.

"We are never to address her as ma'am, sir, miss, or by her last name. Its first name only," he informed the new clone.

"What about your friend, Vuur?" Jia asked, referencing the other "shiny." "What's his name?"

"ľad," Vuur answered. Jia raised her eyebrows a little in a non-questioning way.

"Interesting names," she commented.

"So is yours," Vuur retorted, the words slipping out before he could stop them. Everyone froze, waiting to see Jia's reaction. She was still for a moment before she turned to Vuur. It was another few moments before she broke out in a grin.

"You're right," she said. "My name is interesting." Her attention turned back to her laptop when it starting beeping at her. "No. Damn it. Stop that," she muttered, frantically hitting keys on the keyboard. A loud, high-pitched sound was emitted and everyone cowered down and covered their ears. Jia jumped up and ran into her computer room. After a few moments, the sound stopped and an audible sigh of relief was heard.

When Jia didn't come back out right away, Rex slid into her place in front of the computer, curious to what she had been looking at, knowing she hadn't been logging in the inventory. On the screen was a video, much like the one he had watched with Ahsoka on Jia's phone. By now, everyone was gathered behind and around him, curious as well. Rex hit the play button, thinking it was another video of Jia, Red, and Eagle. Instead, a stage with a red curtain in front of it popped up on the screen. And then the curtain was drawn aside and two girls stood in the center of the stage. One had long, straight reddish-brownish hair and the other had shoulder-length, wavy, golden hair.

* * *

_Jia looked over at her friend, shifting her weight from foot-to-foot in nervous anticipation. Her friend looked back at her and gave her a reassuring smile._

"_Ready, Sasha?" she asked in an accent unknown to the clones or three girls._

"_Yeah, Bri," Jia said, taking a deep breath. "I hope so." The girl, Bri, gave Jia a quick hug._

"_You have a beautiful voice," she said. "Everyone's going to love you."_

"_You're supposed to be the star, though, remember?" Jia asked in a 'duh' tone. Bri laughed quietly and opened her mouth to respond, but then a loud, male voice came bursting through the speakers._

"_And now, for our last act of the night, two girls who go to our local international show will be entertaining us with songs they will be singing from a widely known Celtic singing group," the announcer said. "Ladies and gentlemen, Jiana White and Briallen O'Suliven." His words were followed by a polite round of applause before silence settled over the theater. Jia looked to Bri, who gave her another quick smile before stepping forwards a bit._

"_The first song we will be singing is called Níl Sé'n Lá," she said. She stepped back to her place next to Jia and gave a slight nod to someone off at the side of the stage. Seconds later, upbeat music floated through the air and Bri raised a microphone and started to sing in a foreign language._

"Chuaigh mé isteach i detach aréir  
is d'iarr mé cairde ar mhnaoi an leanna.  
Is é dúirt sí liom, "Ní bhfaighid tú deor.  
Buail an bother is gabh abhaile."

_Then Jia raised her microphone to her lips and joined in, the lyrics now in English._

"I came by a house last night  
and told the woman I am staying.  
I said to her, "The moon is bright,  
and my fiddle's tuned for playing."

Tell me that the night is long.  
Tell me that the moon is glowing.  
Fill my glass, I'll sing a song,  
and we'll start the music flowing.

Never mind the rising light;  
there's no sign of day or dawning.  
In my heart, it's still the night,  
and we'll stay here 'till the morning."

_Jia dropped out of the song and Bri switched back over to the first language she had been singing in, her voice ringing out sweet and clear, the way someone would imagine an angel sounded while singing._

"Níl sé'n lá, níl a ghrá  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go maidin  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go foil,  
solas ard atá sa ghealaigh."

_She switched back to English and Jia picked the song back up._

"It's not day nor yet awhile;  
I can see the starlight shining."

_Bri switched back to the foreign language and Jia fell silent again._

"Níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go foil,  
solas ard atá sa ghealaigh."

_Bri became silent as well while the instrumental part of the song played. Both girls were moving slightly to the beat, as if it was impossible for them to be still._

"Fill the glasses one more time  
and never heed the empty bottle.  
Turn the water into wine,  
and turn the party up full throttle."

_Their voice intertwined and complemented each other's nicely, harmonizing well together._

"Don't go out into the cold,  
where the wind and rain are blowing:  
for the fire is flaming gold,  
and in here the music's flowing."

_Jia dropped out for a third time, giving Bri the full spotlight again._

"Níl sé'n lá, níl a ghrá  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go maidin  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go foil,  
solas ard atá sa ghealaigh."

_Again, Jia picked up the song as soon as the English lyrics came into play._

"Tell me that the night is long,  
tell me that the moon is gleaming.  
Fill my glass, I'll sing a song;  
and we'll keep the music streaming,  
until all the songs are sung."

_Just Bri._

"Níl sé'n lá, níl a ghrá  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go maidin  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go foil,  
solas ard atá sa ghealaigh.

Níl sé'n lá, níl a ghrá  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go maidin  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go foil,  
solas ard atá sa ghealaigh."

_A quick instrumental interval and then Bri continued singing._

"Níl sé'n lá, níl a ghrá  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go maidin  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go foil,  
solas ard atá sa ghealaigh.

Níl sé'n lá, níl a ghrá  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go maidin  
níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go foil,  
solas ard atá sa…  
solas ard atá sa…  
solas ard atá sa…  
solas ard atá sa ghealaigh."

_As soon as the music ended, thunderous applause rocked through the theater. Jia breathed out a sigh of relief and turned to Bri. They both smiled at each other before turning back to the audience. Armed with renewed confidence, she nodded to someone at the side of the stage and the next song started to play. Both girls sang the entire song this time._

"Sometimes in this life we hear  
Calling from somewhere  
Sometimes it is loud and clear  
Sometimes it's so softly there

Sometimes it is in the sea  
Sometimes in the sky  
Sometimes it's in you and me  
And sometimes it's a cry

Open your heart  
I am calling you  
Right from the very start  
Your wounded heart was calling, too.

Open your arms  
You will find the answer  
When you answer to the Call."

_A short, sweet violin solo followed and then the girls resumed singing._

"Sometimes it is in desire  
Or in the love we fear  
When the call keeps calling us  
'Till the fear will disappear

When we have no dance to dance  
The call is in the song  
When we have no voice to sing  
Then the call is calling strong

Open your heart I am calling you  
Right from the very start  
Your wounded heart was calling, too

Open your arms  
You will find the answer  
When you answer to the Call."

_There was another violin solo, this one longer than the last one._

"Open your heart  
I am calling you  
Right from the very start  
Your wounded heart was calling, too

Open your arms  
You will find the answer  
When you answer to the Call

Open your heart, your heart  
And you will find the answer  
To the Call!"

_Another very loud round of applause before the girls slipped right into the next song, barely a pause between songs this time. A playful violin tune came from the speakers and the two girls started dancing around the stage, their long, pearl-white, flowing dresses billowing out. Their dancing matched the playful attitude of the song. Bri sung the first verses herself, much like the first song._

"Look how the light of the town  
the lights of the town are shining now.  
Tonight I'll be dancing around.  
I'm off on the road to Galway now."

_Bri dropped out and Jia picked up the song, dancing and spinning around the stage._

"Look how she's off on the town.  
She's off on a search for sailors though  
There's fine fellas here to be found.  
She's never been one to stay at home."

_Jia made a show of chasing/dancing after Bri and then pulling her back in the direction of "home."_

"Home you'll go and it's there you'll stay  
And you've work to do in the morning.  
Give up your dream of going away;  
Forget your sailors in Galway."

_Jia became silent and Bri picked up the song again, singing again in the foreign language._

"Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú  
Téir abhaile riú Mhearai  
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile  
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta.

Come now and follow me down,  
Down to the lights of Galway where  
There's fine sailors walking the town  
And waiting to meet the ladies there."

_Again, Bri dropped off and Jia started singing again. Rex got the idea that the song was supposed to be like a conversation between the two girls._

"Watch now he'll soon be along  
He's finer than any sailor so,  
Come on now pick up your spoons:  
He's waiting to hear you play them WHOO!

Here today and she's gone tomorrow  
And next she's going to Galway.  
Jiggin' around and off to town;  
And won't be back until morning."

"Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú  
Téir abhaile riú Mhearai  
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile  
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta.

Off with a spring in my step:  
The sailors are searching Galway for  
A young lady such as myself  
For reels and jigs and maybe more!"

_Jia grabbed Bri's arm and looked at her with pleading eyes._

"Stay here and never you mind;  
The lights of the town are blinding you.  
The sailors they come and they go,  
But listen to what's reminding you.  
Handsome men surrounding you;  
Dancing a reel around you."

_Her expression changed from pleading to firm and decided._

"Home you'll go and it's there you'll stay  
And you've work to do in the morning.  
Give up your dream of going away.  
Forget your sailors in Galway."

_Bri pulled her arm from Jia's grasp and the two girls started dancing again._

"Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú  
Téir abhaile riú Mhearai  
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile  
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta."

_Jia sang the first line, grabbing Bri's hand, and then Bri looked at her with a knowing look and nodded slowly while singing the rest of the verse._

"Listen to the music flow."

"I'm falling for the flow of home.  
I'm home to dance till dawning."

_The two girls pulled away from each other and started dancing around the stage again, doing an indeterminable number of spins._

"Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú  
Téir abhaile riú Mhearai  
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile  
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta."

"Stay a while and we'll dance together now,  
As the light is falling.  
We'll reel away till the break of day;  
And dance together till morning."

_They met each other again in the center of the stage._

"Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú  
Téir abhaile riú Mhearai  
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile  
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta

Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú  
Téir abhaile riú Mhearai  
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile  
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta  
do Mhargadh de - do mhargadh déanta!"

_Jia and Bri shared another smile, a quick hug, and then Jia retreated to backstage. Bri shifted nervously. This was her only solo and she wasn't sure how good she would do without Jia's energetic, smiling, dancing form beside her._

"A 'níon mhín ó, sin anall na fir shúirí.  
A mháithairin mhín ó, cuir na roithléan go dtí mé.

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach.  
Dúlamán na farraige, b'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn.  
Tá ceann buí óir ar an dúlamán gaelach.  
Tá dhá chluais mhaol ar an dúlamán maorach.  
Bróga breaca dubha ar an dúlamán gaelach.  
Tá bearéad agus triús ar an dúlamán maorach.

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach.  
Dúlamán na farraige, b'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn.  
Tá ceann buí óir ar an dúlamán gaelach.  
Tá dhá chluais mhaol ar an dúlamán maorach.  
Bróga breaca dubha ar an dúlamán gaelach.  
Tá bearéad agus triús ar an dúlamán maorach."

_As she started getting into the song, Bri relaxed some. She knew the song by heart, she practiced it every day. Singing in front of all these people couldn't really be that different from singing while she was in the shower._

"Góide a thug na tíre thú? arsa an dúlamán gaelach.  
Ag súirí le do níon, arsa an dúlamán maorach.  
Rachaimid chun Niúir leis an dúlamán gaelach.  
Ceannóimid bróga daora ar an dúlamán maorach

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach.  
Dúlamán na farraige, b'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn.  
Tá ceann buí óir ar an dúlamán gaelach.  
Tá dhá chluais mhaol ar an dúlamán maorach.  
Bróga breaca dubha ar an dúlamán gaelach.  
Tá bearéad agus triús ar an dúlamán maorach."

_Now she started dancing a little. She twirled here and there admiring the way her dress moved when she did, all while singing the song._

"Ó chuir mé scéala chuici, go gceannóinn cíor dí.  
'Sé'n scéal a chuir sí chugam, go raibh a ceann cíortha.

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach.  
Dúlamán na farraige, b'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn.  
Tá ceann buí óir ar an dúlamán gaelach.  
Tá dhá chluais mhaol ar an dúlamán maorach.  
Bróga breaca dubha ar an dúlamán gaelach.  
Tá bearéad agus triús ar an dúlamán maorach.

Cha bhfaigheann tú mo 'níon, arsa an dúlamán gaelach.  
Bheul, fuadóidh mé liom í, arsa an dúlamán maorach.  
Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach.

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach.  
Dúlamán na farraige, b'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn.  
Tá ceann buí óir ar an dúlamán gaelach.  
Tá dhá chluais mhaol ar an dúlamán maorach.  
Bróga breaca dubha ar an dúlamán gaelach.  
Tá bearéad agus triús ar an dúlamán maorach."

_Bri took a deep breath. The big finish and her favorite part of the song was coming up. She saw Jia's blonde head behind the curtain smiling encouragement at her. _

"Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach.  
Dúlamán na farraige, b'fhearr a bhí, b'fhearr a bhí.  
Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach.  
Dúlamán na farraige, b'fhearr a bhí, b'fhearr a bhí.  
B'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn!"

_She gave a slight bow and flushed in embarrassment when some people gave her a standing ovation. From the corner of her eye, Bri saw Jia applauding as well. She gave another small bow and then made her way backstage. Jia had already changed out of the white dress and into a strapless, dark blue one that was decorated with fake jewels along the top. _

"_You're turn," Bri whispered to Jia. Jia's eyes widened a bit._

"_I don't know if I'll be able to do it," she whispered back. Bri looked at Jia meaningfully._

"_If I could sing Dúlamán all by myself, you can sing a few songs alone," she said with a slight eye roll. Jia grimaced._

"_Gee, thanks for the support," she muttered. Bri laughed and pushed Jia onto the stage._

_Jia was still for a moment near the curtain, and then walked soundlessly to center stage. The spotlight turned on her and she was blinded by it. After what seemed like an eternity, music started playing. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and started singing._

"Someday, when we are wiser,  
When the worlds older,  
When we have learned...  
I pray someday we may yet,  
Live to live and to let live.

Someday, life will be fairer,  
Need will be rarer,  
And greed will not pay.  
Godspeed this bright millennium,  
On its way, let it come someday."

_Jia forced her eyes open and found that if she squinted, she was able to see a little. Her cousins Jake, Jamie, and Hunter sat in the front row with her Aunt and Uncle. They were watching her intently, and when Jake noticed her looking at them, he flashed her a thumbs up. Jia smiled a little and closed her eyes again._

"Someday, our fight will be won and,  
We'll stand in the sun in,  
That bright afternoon...  
'Till then, on days when the sun,  
Is gone, we'll hang on,  
If we wish upon the moon.

There are some days, dark and bitter,  
Seems we haven't got a prayer,  
But a prayer for something better,  
Is the one thing we all share."

_Bri stood in the shadow of the curtain watching Jia. She had never heard her friend sing an entire solo before because Jia had always insisted on practicing in solitude._

"Someday, when we are wiser,  
When the whole world is older,  
When we have love,  
And I pray, someday we may yet,  
Live to live and one day, someday...

Someday, life will be fairer,  
Need will be rarer,  
And greed will not pay.  
Godspeed, this bright millennium,  
Let it come,  
If we wish upon the moon...  
One day, someday...soon."

_The crowd went crazy, jumping to their feet and clapping like crazy. Bri smiled. Jia was always so shy when it came to singing in front of other people. It turned out she'd had nothing to fear. Jia turned to look at Bri, who mouthed "good job" at her._

_The next song started up, a slow, sad, haunting tune. Jia closed her eyes again and took a deep breath before she started singing._

"Are you going to Scarborough fair?  
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.  
Remember me to one who lives there.  
He once was a true love of mine.

Tell him to make me a cambric shirt.  
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.  
Without no seam nor needlework.  
Then he'll be a true love of mine."

_Jia took a couple steps forward out of the direct light. She looked around the audience, searching for people she knew. She spotted her extended family in the first few rows. Her dad stood near the back of the theater. Her dad. She hadn't been expecting her dad to come. He was supposed to be on TDY. _

"Tell him to find me an acre of land.  
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.  
Between the salt water and the sea strand.  
Then he'll be a true love of mine.

Are you going to Scarborough fair?  
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.  
Remember me to one who lives there.  
He once was a true love of mine."

_Again, she got a standing ovation. She smiled and bowed, and then stepped to the side as Bri rejoined her on the stage, dressed in a similarly colored dress. This time, Bri started singing before the music started playing._

"Siúil, siúil, siúil a rún  
Siúil go socair agus siúil go ciúin  
Siúil go doras agus éalaigh liom.

Siúil, siúil, siúil a rún  
Siúil go socair agus siúil go ciúin  
Siúil go doras agus éalaigh liom  
Is go dté tú mo mhuirnín slán."

_Jia took a step towards Bri and the two girls linked arms._

"Oh, I wish I were on yonder hill.  
There I'd sit and cry my fill.  
'Till every tear would turn a mill.  
I'll sell my rod, I'll sell my reel.  
I'll sell my only spinning wheel.  
To buy my love a sword of steel."

_Jia fell out of the song, letting Bri sing the foreign lyrics._

"Siúil, siúil, siúil a rún  
Siúil go socair agus siúil go ciúin  
Siúil go doras agus éalaigh liom  
Is go dté tú mo mhuirnín slán."

_Jia raised the microphone again and resumed singing._

"I'll dye my petticoats, I'll dye them red.  
And round the world I'll beg my bread.  
Until my parents shall wish me dead."

"Siúil, siúil, siúil a rún  
Siúil go socair agus siúil go ciúin  
Siúil go doras agus éalaigh liom  
Is go dté tú mo mhuirnín slán.

Siúil, siúil, siúil a rún  
Siúil go socair agus siúil go ciúin  
Siúil go doras agus éalaigh liom  
Is go dté tú mo mhuirnín slán."

_Bri bowed her head politely and then pulled Jia closer to her, silently telling the audience that her friend deserved as much credit as she did. Jia flushed pink in shy embarrassment and looked down. Bri grinned and elbowed Jia gently and playfully._

"_I'm sure you all will recognize our next song," Bri said in her beautiful accent. "Sing along if you want." She smiled at Jia, who grinned back, before she started singing, no music accompaniment._

"Come stop your crying: it'll be alright.  
Just take my hand; hold it tight.  
I will protect you from all around you.  
I will be here, don't you cry."

_Jia took a breath and joined in._

"For one so small, you seem so strong.  
My arms will hold you; keep you safe and warm.  
This bond between us can't be broken.  
I will be here, don't you cry.

'Cause you'll be in my heart.  
Yes, you'll be in my heart.  
From this day on,  
Now and forever more."

_The music finally started up, a smooth, drum rhythm._

"Come stop your crying: it'll be alright.  
Just take my hand; hold it tight.  
I will protect you from all around you.  
I will be here, don't you cry.

'Cause you'll be in my heart.  
Yes, you'll be in my heart.  
From this day on,  
Now and forever more."

_The audience started singing with the girls, their voices a low rumble, supporting the two girls' voices nicely._

"Yes, you'll be in my heart,  
no matter what they say.  
You'll be here in my heart….  
Always."

_Bri stopped singing, taking a step back, and Jia turned an imploring gaze on the audience._

"Don't listen to them:  
'Cause what do they know?  
We need each other,  
to have and to hold.  
They'll see in time….  
I know."

_Bri stepped forward again, picking up the song, and Jia took a step back, dropping out._

"When destiny calls you,  
you must be strong.  
I may not be with you,  
but you have to hold on.  
They'll see in time…  
I know."

_The two girls looked at each other, smiling slightly; and Jia started singing again._

"We'll show them together!  
'Cause you'll be in my heart.  
Believe me, you'll be in my heart.  
From this day on,  
now and forever more.

Yes, you'll be in my heart,  
no matter what they say.  
You'll be here in my heart….  
Always…  
Always…  
Always…"

_Jia and Bri clasped hands, smiling with a mixture of shyness and pride. Jia's smiled widened when she saw her dad looking her, pride shining from his eyes. _

"_The last song of the night, An Angel, and the one that gave our little concert its name," Bri said, causing the audience to quiet down, waiting expectantly. Jia started the song off this time._

"I wish I had your pair of wings.  
Had them last night in my dreams.  
I was chasing butterflies,  
'till the sunlight broke my eyes.

Tonight the sky has glued my eyes;  
'cause what I see's an angel hive.  
I've got to touch that magic sky,  
and greet the angel in their hive."

_Bri joined in, her high, clear voice floating through the air._

"Sometimes, I wish I were an angel.  
Sometimes, I wish I were you.  
Sometimes, I wish I were an angel.  
Sometimes, I wish I were you."

_Jia lowered her microphone and Bri took a step forward, continuing with the song._

"And all the sweet honey from above  
Pour it all over me, sweet love.  
And while you're flying around my head  
Your honey kisses keep me fed.

I wish I had your pair of wings.  
Just like last night in my dreams.  
I was lost in paradise;  
I wish I'd never opened my eyes."

_Jia raised her microphone again and Bri took a step back so she stood next to Jia again._

"Sometimes, I wish I were an angel.  
Sometimes, I wish I were you.  
Sometimes, I wish I were an angel.  
Sometimes, I wish I were you.

But there's danger in the air  
trying so hard to be unfair.  
Danger is in the air,  
trying so hard to give us a scare,  
but we're not afraid.  
No we're not afraid.

Sometimes, I wish I were an angel.  
Sometimes, I wish I were you.  
Sometimes, I wish I were an angel.  
Sometimes, I wish I were you."

_The two girls clasped hands again and raised their hands over and then bowed, smiling at each other and at the clapping audience. They turned and exited the stage. As soon as they were backstage, they let out excited squeals and hugged each other._

"_You were amazing," Jia complemented Bri._

"_Of course I was," Bri said playfully, adding an eye roll for good measure. Jia laughed and gave Bri a one armed hug. The two girls were interrupted from their post-performance excitement when someone tapped Jia on her shoulder. She jumped slightly and turned around._

"_Daddy," she squealed, throwing herself into the arms of the man that stood behind her._

"_Hey, monkey," her dad said, catching her and stumbling back a few feet. _

"_You said you couldn't come," Jia said, her brow furrowing together in confusion._

"_Well, it turns out I lied," her dad said shifting her position in his arms slightly so he could hold her more comfortably. "Because it seems I was able to come." Jia giggled and then hugged her dad tightly around his neck. Within seconds, she had fallen asleep._

* * *

The video ended and everyone remained still and quiet until Jia's voice made them jump.

"Find anything interesting?" she snarled. Rex leapt backwards, away from her computer and away from her. "Well?" Jia asked.

"Yes," Lylla finally answered. Jia's anger suddenly seemed to recede. She nodded slowly.

"So, what did you think?" she asked finally.

"It was good," Lylla answered. "The other girl was really good." Jia smiled.

"Bri. Yeah, I know," she said. "She was one of my best friends when I was in Kansas." No one asked what Kansas was.

"Did she know you were an assassin?" Zjarr asked. Jia laughed.

"I had life before I started killing people, you know," she said. Zjarr looked embarrassed, but Jia ignored him. "So, I get this stuff into the inventory and then we leave. We start on Aar and move forward with whatever we find there."

"Understood," Rex and Cody said at the same time. Jia stared at them for a couple moments, her expression thoughtful, and then she sat back down at her computer.

* * *

_Sorry, I'm really chatty at the moment. Anyways, I know You'll Be in My Heart is from a Disney movie (Tarzan, I think), but I gave Celtic Woman the credit because it was their version I was listening to as I wrote the lyrics. The song Someday seemed very fitting for the CW, so that's the reason behind that song being in here. If you want, you can look up the translations of the Gaelic parts on Google._

_The name Anela is Hawaiian for angel. It sort of went with the theme of the story. Boba Fett will be brought back into the story. Later. Like, a bunch of chapters later. But, he had to escape from jail somehow. So that's that._


	34. Big Brother

**Big Brother**

Jia sat cross-legged in the pilot's seat. She wasn't flying. They were in hyperspace and on autopilot. She was just using the excuse of piloting to be alone. She needed some time to think things out. She absent-mindedly rolled her knife over and over in her hand, staring at it with blank, unfocused eyes. It took her a couple minutes to realize there was someone sitting next to her.

"Jax," she gasped. "You almost gave me a heart attack." Jax just shrugged, not bothering to apologize.

"You've been acting weird lately," he said.

"It's that obvious?" Jia sighed.

"It's obvious, at least to me, that you're in pain," Jax said, looking at Jia curiously.

"It's nothing," she muttered. She was beyond caring about how Jax saw her. He had seen her at her best and at her worst; she was comfortable enough around him to let down some of her walls.

"It's something," Jax countered. He raised his eyebrows, waiting patiently for Jia to explain. She shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, refusing to meet his gaze. "It was a boy, wasn't it?" Jax asked finally. Jia didn't bother to ask how he had been able to tell; after all, she _was_ the one that had trained him. When she remained silent, Jax's gaze hardened. "Was it a brother?" he growled.

"What?" Jia gasped. She was horrified at the fact that Jax thought one of the clones had hurt her; and at the thought of what he would have done to the clone. "No, Jax, no. And it wasn't- it's nothing. Just a stupid mistake."

"It might have been a mistake, but it wasn't stupid," Jax comforted. Jia glanced up at him and rolled her eyes.

"How would you know that?" she asked. Jax stood up and moved so he stood in front of Jia.

"Because I know _you_," he said. Jia raised her head and finally met his gaze. Blue eyes stared into amber eyes, each one daring the other to look away first.

"I'm really glad you agreed to join our team on this crazy mission," Jia said finally. Jax nodded slowly.

"Yeah," he said. "Me too."

* * *

Lylla waited anxiously for Jax to return from talking to Jia. She looked up, hope flaring in her eyes when she heard him reenter the room. He just shook his head slightly and Lylla sighed. She wrapped the blanket more tightly around her body and let her head rest on the armrest of the sofa. A couple seconds later, Jax sat down next to her.

"She blames herself," he said bluntly, no preamble.

"I swear, I'm going to kill him," Lylla growled. She heard a snort of laughter and looked over at Jax. "What?"

"Just trying to picture you killing someone," he said.

"You don't think I can kill?" Lylla asked. Jax gave her a long, measuring look. Finally, he shook his head.

"But, I'll kill him for you," he said, halting Lylla's protest before she could start it. Lylla smiled a little and looked down at her hands. Silence settled over them, broken by the occasional snore from the sleeping clones.

"Why don't you and Jia like each other?" Lylla asked after many minutes.

"We never have," Jax said with a shrug.

"But you get along," Lylla pointed out.

"We work well together," Jax corrected. "There's a difference."

"Where's the difference?" Jia asked, appearing from the cockpit.

"Nothing," Lylla said quickly. "Me and Jax were just talking about killing the boy who…" She trailed off when Jia gave her an icy glare.

"You can't kill," she snorted.

"But I can," Jax spoke up. Jia snapped her head around to glare at him and he stared levelly back. "And trust me, once I figure out who it is, I will."

He didn't say it like someone who was going crazy for the protection of someone they cared about; he said it in a calm, even tone. He said it like someone trained to hunt and to kill. And maybe that's what sent the shivers down Lylla's spine.

* * *

"And that's that. Any questions?" Jia asked the group of people standing in front of her.

"Yeah, why is it only the Captain and Commander who get to have all the fun?" Jax asked, glowering at Jia. Jia laughed at him.

"You should know the answer to that. It's just like on Kamino: you annoy me, so I annoy you," she said, looking at him with an innocently searching gaze. Jax opened his mouth to argue, but Viz elbowed him.

"Give it up, vod. You know you won't be able to convince her to let you go," he said. Jax narrowed his eyes at Viz, a trick he had learned from Jia, but Viz kept his chin up, refusing to be intimidated.

"Fine," Jax snapped finally.

"Good choice. We learned on Kamino not to get her angry," Peixe spoke up from where he was leaning against the wall.

"I could take her on," Jax muttered. Peixe just snorted, trying hard to disguise his laughter.

"Okay, if there aren't any more objections, I think we should be going," Jia said, clapping her hands together.

"What about me and Lylla and Barriss?" Anela spoke up.

"You three stay on the ship," Jia told her. Barriss looked like she was going to argue with that, but then caught the gaze of Cody. He gave her a tiny head-shake and she let out a soft sigh. Jia looked around, pretending she hadn't seen that. When no one said anything she smiled. "Good; let's go."

She led the way down the ramp, relishing the weight of her knife on her hip again. At Rex's persuasion, she had taken her gun, as well. She had to admit she was impressed by the Captain. Not a lot of people liked to argue with her. Or force her to do something.

The dim, grey moon gave off little light, helpful for cover but not for seeing what someone was tripping over. Twice, Jia stumbled over a protruding root. I'ad and Vuur stuck to the back of the group, keeping a rear look-out. A few times Jia heard them ready their blasters only to relax a couple moments later. Everyone was on edge; it was obvious. Even Jax kept silent for once.

The moon was almost below the horizon by the time they got to Crag Writ's prison. Jia pulled the group to a halt and then signaled which clones stood guard where.

"If you can surprise anyone, don't kill them," she breathed into the earbud.

"If we're engaged?" Jax prompted. Jia grinned. Of course _he_ would ask that.

"These people kidnapped, and possibly tortured and killed a Jedi," she said in a low voice. "You do. Your. Worst."

"Welcome back," she heard Jax mutter. She knew he was referring to the night when they were in the barracks on Coruscant and she had had her flashback.

"Welcome home," she shot back. Jax snorted and shook his head. Jia felt along the wall of the building until she came to the air vent. She pulled out mini laser-sighted machine gun flamethrower and held it up to the screws. A couple seconds later, the vent popped off and Jia grinned triumphantly. She had forgotten how fun this could be.

"Rex, Cody, in," she ordered.

"Who's in charge while you're gone?" Jax asked. Jia paused and bit her lip while she thought. She would love to automatically put Jax in charge since she knew him the best, but she had to show she trusted the other clones.

"Fives," she said. The ARC looked over at her and Jia nodded once. "You're in charge." Jax opened his mouth to protest, but Viz elbowed him into silence.

"You expected it to be you, didn't you?" Tenger asked Jax quietly as they watched Cody, Rex, and Jia disappear into the air vent.

"Of course he did," Peixe said with an eye roll. "That's why Jia didn't choose him."

"I think she chose him for a different reason," Havet said thoughtfully. Jax just glared at them all through his visor. They all immediately stopped their discussion and slightly bent their heads in submission. Jax felt a ripple of smugness. He was in charge, and they all knew it.

"Be quiet and get in defensive positions," Fives ordered, not aware of the different places on the totem pole Shadow Squad had already worked out. As everyone spread out around the building, Fives contacted Jax through a private channel. "You and your squad seem very comfortable around Jia," he commented.

"Because we are," Jax said in a reserved voice.

"Any particular reason?" Fives asked, realizing right away he wasn't going to get a straight answer if he didn't ask a straight question.

"Yes," Jax answered. Fives let out a quiet hiss of frustration and tried again.

"How do you know Jia so well?" it came out like a snarl. He heard Jax chuckling and realized that his brother was enjoying the conversation.

"She trained me and my squad on Kamino a while back," he answered finally.

"That right," Fives suddenly connected the dots. "She was sent to Kamino for three months to train some of the cadets. She was very unhappy about it."

"We all were," Jax said, sobering up.

"You seem to get along now," Fives pointed out. Jax sighed; Lylla had told him almost the exact same thing the night before.

"We work well together," Jax repeated his answer. "There's a difference." Fives remained silent. He still hated Jia after her betrayal. _No_, he corrected himself, _hate is too strong a word. I dislike her._ Suddenly, he saw a flash of movement. He could tell by Jax's suddenly stiff posture that he had seen it too.

"Team one, report," Fives ordered.

"In position, ARC," Jax recognized Viz's speech pattern. "And very, very bored. Can me and the shiny use those birds for target practice?"

"Request denied," Jax snapped out before Fives had a chance to answer. Viz let out a stream of curses, much to Jax's amusement.

"He curses like Jia does," Fives said, smiling slightly.

"Jia does like to curse," Jax agreed.

"Fives, we've detected movement," Wooley buzzed in. "Should we check it out?"

"Negative," Fives replied. "Wait for it to come to us."

"I don't like this," Boil muttered.

"We're too exposed," Waxer added.

"I don't like it either, but Jia knows what she's doing," Trapper said. Fives let out a snort of disbelief before he could stop himself, but everyone knew better than to comment on it.

"I'm not sure I trust her," I'ad muttered after a couple moment of silence.

"No one trusts her," Jax said, rolling his eyes. "She's an assassin. They're untrustworthy."

"Got that right," Peixe yawned. "This is so boring. Why couldn't we go with her?"

"We can't always get the exciting jobs," Jax grumbled, sighing wistfully.

"This might be exciting yet," Tenger murmured. "Anyone else see the Rodian aiming his gun at us?"

* * *

"I think we might be too big for this," Cody grunted as he dragged himself up the air vent.

"Cody's right. We aren't as small as you are," Rex backed up his brother.

"Oh, be quiet," Jia sighed. "If Wolffe was able to do this decked out in hazmat suits and gear, you guys can do this." Cody rolled his eyes behind his helmet. _She's insane,_ he texted Rex. Rex didn't respond, but Cody could hear him laughing.

"Stop," Jia said suddenly. It surprised the clones so much they crashed into her and each other. Jia rolled her eyes. "Dumb butts," she muttered. She kicked open the vent and jumped down onto the floor. She landed lightly in a crouch and immediately pulled out her gun. By the time Cody and Rex were on the ground, the four-guard patrol that had been roaming the hallways was dead. Jia looked up at them. "Which way?"

Rex brought up the schematics of the building on his gauntlet and Jia and Cody leaned in to study it. Jia tipped her head to the side, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"I don't get it," she said. Rex and Cody laughed.

"This way," Rex said, still chuckling. He led the way down the hall, Jia still trying to figure out how she was supposed to read the schematics.

"Speed up," Jia burst out suddenly, running ahead. She readied her gun and shot down two guards who stood in between her and an old, wooden door. She shot the lock on the door and kicked it open. Cody and Rex ran up behind her, curious as to what was going on.

Jia disappeared into the dark room that the door had concealed. She came out a moment later, disappointment written all over her.

"Never mind," she muttered. "It was nothing." As she spoke, a piece of cloth fluttered down from the ceiling. Rex bent down and picked it up. "What it say?" Jia asked, suddenly snapped out of her grumpy mood.

"Akay val an ash'amur," Cody read over Rex's shoulder. Jia looked at them expectantly.

"Translation please," she asked in a 'duh' tone when neither clone said anything.

"It says 'until they all die,'" Cody said. Rex remained silent, thoughts racing furiously around as he tried to figure out what the message meant. Jia felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"I think I know what this means," she whispered. Without a word, she snatched the piece of cloth from Rex's hand and took off running down the hallway towards the front door.

* * *

Maddison looked back and forth between Jacob and Syrus, tears in her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded from her cousin. Prima was at her side, nudging her gently and letting out worried whimpers. Maddison hugged the animal close. Jacob opened his mouth and then closed it again. He had no good excuse without telling Maddison what Jia had done.

"I only was told to bring the animal back," Syrus said, wanting to get out of the room, feeling quite awkward. Jacob remained silent.

"Bye, Maddie," Syrus said, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Maddison cried. She ran to her friend and he crouched down and caught her in his arms. "Don't go away," Maddison begged, her voice muffled by Syrus's shirt.

"I have to get back home," Syrus said, running a hand soothingly down her long hair. Maddison remained silent. She didn't want to cry, but she was on the verge of tears. She knew if she opened her mouth to speak, she would end up bawling like a baby.

"He needs to go," Jacob was finally able to formulate words.

"Shut up!" Maddison snapped at him. Jacob blinked in surprise. Never once had his little cousin said _anything_ like that.

"Tell Syrus to leave," Jacob ordered. Maddison looked like she was going to argue him, but ended up just letting go of Syrus and glaring at Jacob. Syrus gave Maddison's hair one final pet and then left. The door slid closed behind him and Maddison stared blankly at the door.

"She's bad, Maddison," Jacob said finally.

"No she's not," Maddison said quietly.

"Maddie, you don't know what she did," Jacob tried to reason with her.

"You don't either," Maddison argued.

"I know her better than you do," Jacob growled. He took a deep breath to steady himself. Getting angry never did any good.

"No," Maddison said, setting her face in a stubborn scowl. Jacob sighed and gave up. He was getting nowhere arguing with his cousin.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to calm the tension in the room.

"Never apologize," Maddison quoted Jia without realizing what she was doing, "it is a sign of weakness." With that she turned and stalked out of her room, Prima at her side. Jacob stared after her and sighed. She was becoming more and more like Jia every day.

The thought of Jia brought a fresh wave of pain. He hadn't ever really wanted to break off their relationship. It had been working. But he had let his anger and his feelings get in the way. And he had ruined just about everything. _It wouldn't have worked anyways,_ he thought to himself. _She's an assassin and I'm a Jedi. Jedi aren't supposed to have attachments. Guess now I know why. _He stared out the window of Maddison's dorm.

Jia had been doing the exact same thing when he had told her off. When he had hurt her. Jacob wondered what she had possibly been thinking off at the moment. He knew she had a genius brain. She was always thinking two steps ahead.

Her blue eyes and golden hair; her silky tan skin. The way her eyebrows would go together when she thought hard. Everything was adorable to him. But that wasn't what had attracted him to her. _I hope she knows,_ he thought. He had known right from that start that Jia had somewhat enhanced senses than regular, normal humans. _If Count Dooku finds out, or the Sith Master, Jia's life is in danger._

He was tempted, briefly, to protect her, but he knew Jia wouldn't take kindly to that. Especially after their last encounter. _"I still love you_." The words rang in his ears. Jacob sighed again. For some strange, unexplainable reason, he had refused to forgive her. He had refused to let his feelings show. He had thrown away the one person could maybe truly understood what it was like to be a Jedi. Because even he didn't really understand it. All the rules and regulations and codes they had to follow.

He knew Jia had a code she followed, but it was her own code, influenced by her experiences. Maybe if the Jedi worked like that. Maybe if they could be more open-minded about things. But they weren't. Jacob loved being a Jedi. He could think of nothing else he would rather do. Except maybe learn to love the crazy assassin he had carelessly thrown to the side; the crazy assassin who had loved him and he had hurt.

* * *

Jia stared at the piece of cloth. She had run it through her analyzer multiple times. She had tested the ink multiple times. She had read and re-read the message multiple times. But none of it was making sense to her tired brain.

"Go to sleep," Jax ordered from where he sat beside her. "Working yourself to exhaustion isn't going to help us find the Jedi. And it isn't going to help you forget _him_."

"Really?" Jia asked, still staring at the piece of cloth. "It seems to be helping." Jax slammed his hand down over the piece of cloth, making Jia jump slightly. She quickly recovered from her surprise and glared at him.

"I said go to sleep," Jax repeated. Jia continued glaring at him, refusing to move. Impatient, Jax lifted her out of the chair and carried her into the living room. He tossed her onto one of the sofas, ignoring the surprised looks from the others in the ship. "Stay there," he ordered. Jia was too tired to argue much. She relaxed back onto the sofa.

Jax returned a moment later with a light blanket. He tossed it over her and shut off the overhead light, but left the florescent ones that lined the walls on. Jia watched him through half-closed eyes as he talked in a low voice to Lylla. The two of them seemed to be forming a close relationship. Jia could tell that Jax was the clone that Lylla felt more comfortable around.

"Here," Anela's soft voice startled Jia. She sat on the edge of the couch and handed Jia a mug full of some sort of hot liquid.

"What is it?" Jia asked curiously. She blinked many times, trying to focus her gaze,

"A natural sleep formula," Anela said, bringing the mug up to Jia's lips and giving her a small sip. "Some of the older girls would make it for us back at the club. We never got much sleep, and when we did, we always had nightmares. They came up with this to help us fall asleep quickly, make us feel rested even if we didn't get that much sleep, and take away the nightmares."

Jia held the liquid in her mouth for a couple seconds. It tasted a little bitter at first, but a sweet under-taste soon over-powered the bitterness. As she swallowed, a warm feeling spread through her, making her feel even more comfortable and safer than she already felt. Jia understood how this drink helped the girls at the club Anela kept referencing. No one had asked for details yet, but Jia had a bad feeling she knew what type of club it was.

Anela gave her sip after sip, and it was only a few minutes before she was in a deep sleep. Jax gave the girl an appreciative glance and turned back to Lylla.

"Why do you think I could figure out what it means?" Lylla was asking.

"Just look at it," Jax said with a sigh. Lylla stared at him for a couple moments and then nodded her head.

"Okay, fine." She followed Jax into the computer room and looked at the piece of cloth. Jia had scrawled the translation messily next to the original message.

"Until they all die," Lylla read. She looked up at Jax. "Wouldn't it mean, like, until all the Jedi are dead?" she asked. Jax froze as her words sank in and then he felt angry at himself that he hadn't realized right away what the message meant. He let out a quiet growl of anger and stalked back into the living room.

"Vuur," he called.

"Hmmm?" the shiny answered from the cockpit.

"Land us on the next forest, jungle, or swamp planet we come across," Jax ordered.

"Why are we landing on a forest planet?" Lylla asked, following Jax out of the computer room.

"Jedi Offee has a good idea," Jax explained as quickly as he could. "If the kidnapper came from Aar and came this way, he would have had to stop somewhere. The planet where it would be easy to conceal a Jedi is on a planet where there's no humanoid life."

"Oh, okay, I guess," Lylla said. She didn't know why the clones and Jedi had to make everything so complicated. It was simple logic: to keep a Jedi under control, drug them. But no, the kidnapper _had_ to have come and stayed on some empty planet.

"Got it," Vuur called. "The next swamp planet is Dagobah."

* * *

"Eww," Jia whined as she sank into the swamp. It came up to her waist and was _cold._ She was glad she had decided to wear dark clothing. The clothes were going to be forever stained.

"This way," Trapper led them over to the shore and helped everyone out of the water.

"This is nasty," Jia said in the same whining tone.

"Get over it," Jax sighed. Jia made a face at him as she climbed up onto the shore. She leaned against a tree and squeezed as much water as possible out of her clothes. Suddenly, she let out a scream and leapt away from the tree. The clones reacted so quickly, Jia thought they deserved an award for it.

"What?" Jax snarled.

"Just a bug," Jia said, trying to slow her racing heart. She wasn't scared of anything, usually, but throw a bug into the equation and everything changed. For no reason in particular, bugs downright terrified her. "Just a bug. I'm okay. I think." Fives rolled his eyes, but found it somewhat amusing that she was scared of bugs, of all things.

"Okay, let's move," he said, seeing that everyone was now out of the water. They walked a ways into the thick jungle, searching for any clue as to where Ahsoka might possibly be. Everyone was silent, intent on their quest. The silence was broken, once again, by Jia.

She tripped and tumbled down into a deep hole in the ground. Everyone looked down at her, no one offering to help her out.

"I'm okay, thanks for asking," she grumbled after a couple moments. Jax just rolled his eyes.

"Can you get out?" Viz asked.

"I wanna look around some first," Jia said.

"That's not the best idea ever," Peixe pointed out.

"Please, it's me," Jia said, winking at him. "What could possibly go wrong?"

"Oh, I can think of many, many things," Jax muttered. He said it loud enough for the people surrounding him to hear but not for Jia to hear.

"If you're not with us ten minutes, we'll double back," Fives said. Jia nodded, already looking around the hole. Jax saw her check her ammo and ready her gun. She was definitely preparing for the worst. He wondered if he should be worried and then pushed that thought from his mind. He had no need to be worried.

Jia watched from the corner of her eye as the group walked away. She was curious as to what was in the giant hole she had fallen into. It only took her a few minutes to figure out this was a bad place. It gave her what her dad would call the "heebie-jeebies."

Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her. Whipping around, she saw it was Red. But at the same time it wasn't Red. This Red had eyes that tinted Red, a grin that was malicious, not goofy. And Jia could tell from the look in his eyes he was intent on killing her.

She shot at him, and he fell. She let out a breath of relief and prepared to continue on when Eagle appeared. He's eyes were the same as Red's, and when he spoke, his voice was a raspy whisper.

"Kill," he hissed. Jia shot at him, but the shots seem to go through him. Red jumped up from where he had fallen and joined Eagle. And then Cody was there. And then Ari. And Kayla. And Gavin. And her mom and dad. And Lavinia.

Jia shot at them, but it didn't seem to work. The ghosts/zombies of her friends and family quickly closed in around her. Red produced a knife and handed it to Eagle, who handed it to Kayla, who handed it to Gavin, who handed it to Lavinia.

"We died for you," Ari said, his eyes wide and unblinking, his head falling to the side. "Now you die with us." As he spoke, Lavinia raked the knife down Jia's side. Jia cried out in pain and horror. She had no clue what was happening or how to fight it.

She felt like begging, but Wolffe's training was ingrained into her mind, and she kept her mouth shut because of it. She wanted to fight, but knew she couldn't. The things leaned in closer and Jia could smell them.

They smelled like what she assumed dead people smelled like, only they had an undercurrent scent of rotting flesh. Jia closed her eyes and turned her head to the side.

_This is all a nightmare. Just a nightmare. You'll wake up in a minute. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up…._

* * *

Jia slowly came to. She saw she was in the medbay with Jax sitting vigilant next to her.

"What happened?" Jia asked. She choked on her own words, her throat was so dry. Jax started at the sound of her voice and the quickly handed her a cup of water before answering her question.

"We came back to the hole and found you standing rigid and bleeding," Jax said. "Care to explain what had happened?"

"They all came back, and then they said they were going to kill me, and then Lavinia used a knife one me," Jia explained in a rush.

"Jia, no one was there except you," Jax said slowly.

"But they were there. I could smell them and feel them and hear them," Jia protested.

"It was just a hallucination," Jax tried to comfort. "But that still doesn't explain how you were bleeding. Was it self-inflicted?"

"Yes, because I would drag a knife down my side," Jia snapped, giving him a 'are you actually serious?' look. Jax's lips quirked up in a smile. He knew Jia was fine when she got an attitude with him.

"Okay, well, to make you feel better, we have a prisoner for you to interrogate," Jax said.

"Another one?" Jia asked, sitting up quickly.

"No, the same one. That Rodian from Aar. We just haven't interrogated him yet. Decided to let you do the honors," Jax explained.

"You know me too well," Jia forced a smile.

"I'll let you get dressed," Jax said, getting up to leave. He smiled to himself as he left. He almost felt a smidge of pity for the Rodian. He had no idea what was about to be done to him.

As soon as Jax was gone, the smile fell. Jia lifted up her shirt, and sure enough, there was a new scar down her side. Whatever was in the hole might not have been real, but it wasn't a hallucination, either. Jia had had hallucinations before. And last time she checked, she couldn't _feel_ hallucinations breathing on her. And they sure as hell didn't give her new scars.

* * *

_Sorry this is late. I meant to put this out on Halloween, but the Internet was down, thanks to hurricane Sandy. Anyways, here it is at last. Some Halloween fun. I definitely had fun. The next day at school, everyone was looking like they were high on something. Guess we all had a sugar hangover or something. _

_As always, let me know what you think._


	35. Liar, Liar

**Liar, Liar**

Jia banged the door open and stalked into the closet someone had taken the time to set up as an interrogation room. Anela walked in behind her, looking nervous, and Viz came in last.

"You have no right to keep me like this," the Rodian yelled as soon as the door closed.

"Shut up and sit down," Jia snarled, kicking a chair in his direction. The Rodian stood stubbornly for a moment until he conceded and sat down in the chair. Anela sat in a chair in a corner of the room and Viz sat down directly across from the Rodian. Jia stalked in slow circles around Viz and the Rodian.

"What did I do?" the Rodian asked.

"Shot at my men," Jia hissed, leaning in close to his ear. He coward away from her and she continued pacing.

"You aren't even I Jedi," the Rodian said smugly. "You can't be part of the Republic Army." Jia remained silent. Viz glanced at her briefly, and she blinked once at him, the signal to start.

"Crag Writ," Viz said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "Tell me about him."

"Three people to interrogate me?" the Rodian asked, his lip curling up. "I feel special."

"One person interrogating you," Jia corrected. She brushed an invisible piece of dust of the Rodian's shoulder, and he tensed under her touch.

"There are three people in this room," he pointed out.

"You're right," Jia said. She nodded at Viz. "He's interrogating." She nodded at Anela. "She's making sure you aren't lying."

"What about you?" the Rodian asked. Jia stopped behind the Rodian and lowered her voice to whisper. She leaned down again so her lips were right at his ear.

"I'm here to kill you," she hissed. She flipped her knife out, purposely making it click loudly. The Rodian jumped and twisted around to look at Jia, but she had already moved the corner opposite of Anela.

"Tell me about Crag Writ," Viz repeated.

"Don't know who you're talking about," the Rodian said, raising his chin defiantly and narrowing his eyes.

"He lies," Anela spoke up softly from the corner. Jia's gaze flicked over to her.

"Close your eyes," she mouthed to the girl. Anela nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. Jia threw her knife across the room. She aimed it precisely so it would skin the Rodian's arm, causing some bleeding, but nothing too bad. He screamed and grabbed his arm.

"Why don't you try that again," Viz suggested as Jia got her knife from the floor and Anela reopened her eyes, looking somewhat shaken.

"Crag Writ is a hit man," the Rodian said, his voice shaking.

"We know that," Viz said. He looked up from the folder he had been studying. "Anything else to add?"

The Rodian looked nervously around and spotted Jia standing calmly in the corner. She was holding her knife loosely by her side. When the Rodian looked at her, she raised her eyebrows and slightly moved the hand that held the knife. The Rodian returned his gaze to Viz.

"He specializes in capturing and killing wanted criminals," he blubbered.

"Isn't a Jedi a little out of his range then?" Viz asked. His eyes narrowed at the Rodian.

"He wasn't planning on killing her," the Rodian defended his boss.

"Lie," Anela interrupted. She quickly closed her eyes again. This time Jia made sure her knife cut into some flesh. The Rodian screamed again and fell out of his chair. Jia just rolled her eyes.

"Crag Writ sold the Jedi to the Separatists," the Rodian cried out.

"How much did he make?" Viz asked.

"Twenty billion unmarked credits," the Rodian gasped.

"What were you doing back at the prison when everyone else abandoned it?" Viz raised his eyebrows.

"I was left to guard the other prisoners," the Rodian said.

"Lie," Anela said. Jia threw her knife so it sunk into the Rodian's shoulder. He screamed a third time and convulsed in pain. Viz crouched down on the ground next to him.

"There were no more prisoners," he said in a low voice. "We searched the place." The Rodian didn't say anything. "What were you doing there?" Viz repeated his question. The Rodian remained silent.

"I want an answer," Jia spoke up from the wall. Again, nothing. She sighed and walked over to the Rodian. She yanked her knife out of his shoulder, causing him to emit another scream and roll around on the floor in pain.

"When you want to give us a straight answer, tell us," Viz said, getting up from his chair. Anela got up, too, and followed him out of the closet. Jia remained in the room. She sat down in the chair Viz had been in and studied her now-bloody blade.

"Don't kill me," the Rodian begged.

"Don't lie to me," Jia said, not looking up from her knife.

"I wasn't lying," the Rodian argued. Jia looked at him from under her eyelashes and raised her eyebrows.

"Don't," she repeated in a low voice, "lie to me." The Rodian started to say something else but Jia suddenly flung her knife at him. It embedded itself in the floor a millimeter from the Rodian's head. "You're right, I'm not a Jedi," Jia whispered in his ear, "which means I'm able to kill you anytime and anyway I want." With that, she got up, grabbed her knife out of the floor and sauntered out of the closet, leaving the Rodian alone with his worst thoughts and his fear.

* * *

Lylla jumped when she heard another scream come from the closet.

"What's happening in there?" she asked Jax. He shrugged.

"Jia's in there and she's pissed," he said. "She could be doing anything to him."

"I almost feel sorry for him," Lylla murmured sympathetically.

"He aided in the kidnapping of a Jedi," Jax growled. "Don't feel sorry for him."

"We don't know that for a fact," Lylla defended the Rodian from Jax's accusations.

"Playing lawyer now, are you?" Jia asked, appearing from the closet. Lylla started and looked up at her.

"Of course not," she said quickly. Jia narrowed her eyes slightly and then shrugged and plunked down on one of the sofas.

"We've been at this for a week and we're getting nowhere," she groaned, letting her head fall back over the edge of the cushion.

"He'll talk when he's ready," Peixe comforted.

"I want him to talk when _I'm_ ready," Jia snapped. Then she sighed and ran a hand over her hair. "I hate it," she said bluntly.

"Hate what?" Waxer asked, stretching out on another sofa.

"I used to be able to get the information I needed in, like, two minutes," Jia said. "Now I can't even- I mean, it's not-," she gave up trying to explain.

"Like I said, he'll talk when he's ready," Viz repeated. "You scared him pretty badly."

"No I didn't," Jia mumbled.

"You scared me and I wasn't the one getting a knife thrown at them," Anela said quietly, nervously looking at Jia from under her eyebrows.

"She is pretty scary, huh?" Zjarr asked, taking a bite of the sandwich he had just finished making. Anela nodded vigorously.

"Just sit here and talk about me like I'm not right here," Jia said loudly. Everyone burst out laughing and the tension in the room lessened considerably.

"So, what now?" Lylla asked as she took a sip of tea. Jia sighed again and looked at her with a sad expression.

"Now comes the most boring part of tracking," she said. "Now, we wait."

* * *

_One week later…_

Jia and Viz prepared to go talk to the Rodian. Again. _At least,_ Jia thought, _he's slowly starting to cooperate._ Anela appeared, looking almost excited. She had gotten used to Jia hurting the Rodian pretty quickly and just learned to block out his screams of pain. She now looked forward to the interrogations because she liked being able to call out the Rodian when he was lying. She didn't really like what happened to him afterwards, though.

"I'm ready," she said. Jia and Viz shared a glance.

"Yeah, umm, you're not going to be part of this one," Viz said as gently as he could. Anela looked hurt.

"Why?" she asked. "You need me to tell you when he's lying."

"Not this time," Jia said in a soft tone. She smiled at the young girl.

"But why?" Anela started to whine. She didn't like being left out.

"Just because and leave it at that," Jia said, her gentle tone thinly masking the warning in her voice. Anela sighed and gave up.

"Okay," she said, pouting. Jia laughed and patted her on the head.

"Don't worry," she said. "We'll need to use your lie detector a lot more." Anela just gave her a half-smile and then walked into the cockpit to talk to Vuur and I'ad.

"Why isn't she coming with us?" Viz asked as soon as she was gone. Jia sighed.

"Because this is the one where we kill him," she said.

"We?" Viz asked. Jia sighed again and rolled her eyes.

"_I_ kill him," she corrected herself.

"We haven't gotten all the information we want or need," Viz tried to argue.

"Yes we have," Jia said calmly. She quickly sharpened the blade on her knife. As much as she hated the Rodian, she didn't like people to suffer when dying. Sure, she used torture technics when interrogating, but she always thought death should come quickly and easily, with minimum pain.

"How're you gonna kill him?" Viz asked curiously.

"How do you think?" Jia retorted, waving her knife at him for emphasis. Viz leaned away from the hand with the knife, making a nervous face.

"Please don't wave the freshly sharpened _knife_ in my face," he said slowly. Jia froze and then grinned. She jabbed one more time at Viz, causing him to leap a foot away from her and then tucked her knife away.

"You're funny," she laughed quietly to herself.

"Glad you think so," Viz muttered, eyeing her nervously.

"Don't worry, the knife'll stay away until it's time," Jia assured him, still laughing.

"Mhmm," Viz said uncertainly. He opened the closet door and walked in, Jia following him. The Rodian, who was asleep, jerked awake at the footsteps.

"No more, please," he whimpered.

"This is gonna be short," Viz growled, sitting down in the chair. Jia got into her place in the corner of the room, figuring out the best angle from which to attack. If she leapt from where she was, her knife could impale the side of the Rodian's neck. Death would be quick, but not instantaneous. If she attacked from behind, she could snap his neck or use her knife. Using her knife would make a mess, not to mention there would be a split second of pain. Snapping his neck would require more strength and speed, but it would save a lot of clean-up time.

She was so caught up in her analysis and planning, she didn't notice Viz was done with the interrogation until she heard the door close. That was when the Rodian noticed something was wrong.

"Where's the Zeltron?" he asked Jia nervously.

"She's not here today," Jia said in a low hiss. It was her usual way to talk to prisoners. She liked the way they would shudder when she spoke like that.

"Why?" the Rodian asked, not sounding like he wanted to know the answer.

"Remember when I told you I'm not a Jedi?" Jia asked him, tipping her head to the side, a malicious smile forming on her face. The Rodian had just enough time to realize what she meant before she leapt. She knocked him out of the chair and grabbed the sides of his head.

Much to her surprise, he started fighting back. _Damn it,_ she mentally snarled. _This wasn't supposed to happen. _She had to commend the Rodian on his determination to stay alive, though. Not many people continued the fight to live if they thought they were done for.

Jia was quickly losing the grip on his face. In a quick move, she kicked him up against the wall and then leapt again, her knife out this time. She sliced his throat; a deep, clean cut. Death was quick, the light fading from the Rodian's eyes in seconds.

Jia leapt away from the body as the blood started pooling onto the floor. She didn't particularly enjoy getting someone else's blood on her. Her own blood, she didn't mind, but other people's blood made her go running for the nearest shower if it got on her.

The door opened again and Viz poked his head in.

"All good in here?" he asked. Jia stared in disgust at the bloody mess.

"No, help me clean this up," she said. "And get the body out the airlock." Viz chuckled and disappeared. He reappeared a moment later and picked up the body. Everyone was in the gym at the moment, which was why they had decided to do the last interrogation. Viz quickly made his way to the airlock and dumped the body. He looked at the blood that had smudged on his bare shoulder and made a face.

He stopped by the refresher for a moment, quickly wiping the blood off. He returned to the closet and saw Jia mopping up the blood.

"Throw these out with the body," she said, grimacing and handing Viz the soiled rags. Viz sighed but did as she asked.

"You know," he said, returning to the closet, "for someone who likes to use a knife to kill, you don't handle the blood well."

"I usually don't have to clean the blood up," Jia snapped. She tossed another dirty rag at him and he returned to the airlock for the second time.

"All done?" he asked. Jia got up, used the last rag to wipe off her hands, threw it at Viz, and put her hands on her hips.

"I think so," she said, sighing in relief.

"That was interesting," Viz commented at last.

"It always is," Jia said with another sigh. "They always react in a way that makes things more difficult than they need to be." Viz nodded in silent agreement.

"So, no more?" he asked.

"Not until we get another prisoner," Jia answered. Viz nodded again.

"I'm hungry," Jia said suddenly. She looked at Viz. "Wanna get a snack?" He shrugged.

"Sure." Jia smiled and skipped to the kitchen, Viz following her. "How can you be hungry?" he asked. Jia shrugged. She turned around and raised an eyebrow in a non-questioning way.

"Guess killing people does that to me," she said. Viz stared at her, not sure what to say. Jia grinned mischievously and suddenly jabbed her knife t Viz. He leapt back in surprise, his eyes wide. Jia threw her head back laughing and Viz watched her carefully.

"Come on," Jia said, looping her arm through Viz's and pulling him into the kitchen. "Let's get a snack. All that killing has made me hungry."

* * *

_One week later…_

"Week three and counting," Peixe greeted Jia at breakfast.

"That's just a _great_ way to say 'good morning,'" Jia said sarcastically. Barriss smiled in amusement and Lylla swallowed back laughter. Jia was always very grumpy in the morning before she had fully woken up, especially if she hadn't gotten a lot of sleep.

Jia padded sleepily into the cooing unit and opened the conservator. She pulled out a container of something called blue milk, which she had ended up taking a liking to, and poured herself a glass.

"Not gonna offer to get us anything?" Jax asked from where he was sitting on a sofa.

"Nope," Jia said, shuffling into the living room and sinking into the sofa next to Jax. He gave her a disgusted look and scooted away from her.

"This is turning into something more like an extended camping trip," Lylla commented from the refresher.

"It's kind of nice," Barriss joined the conversation. "I mean, of course it's bad that we aren't getting anywhere in our search for Ahsoka, but the calmness is very…. nice." As she finished speaking, a beeping came from the computer room. Jia jumped up so quickly she spilled Jax's caf all over him.

"You'll be fine," she called over her shoulder as she raced into the computer room. She stared at one of the screens for a moment before letting out a whoop.

"What?" Ouro asked in an annoyed voice.

"The cloth was manufactured on Naboo, but is only sold on Coruscant," Jia said. She spun around to face everybody else. "That's what threw my computer off. But we have it now. We have a lead. This is great!"

She was so excited that no one had the heart to tell her that the piece of cloth could have been sold _anywhere_ on Coruscant. And then Lylla spoke up.

"Wait," she said. "I know that type of fiber. The store Syrus's mom works at sells it. Almost all their clothes is made from this. Maddison even has some clothes that Syrus bought her made from this material."

"But, Mr. Rodian told us he got that piece of cloth from a store on Tatooine," Viz reminded Jia. They had finally broken the Rodian and he had told them mostly everything they wanted to know.

"He lied," Jia said promptly. "It was that one time we didn't have Anela in the room because...," she trailed off, but Viz knew she had been going to say, "because I killed him." They had then dumped the body out the airlock, not letting anyone see it.

"Because what?" Lylla asked.

"Nothing," Jia and Viz said at the same time.

"So, what now?" that had become Lylla's signature question.

"We go back to Coruscant," Jax answered.

"We were just there," Ouro groaned.

"And now we're going back," Jia shot at him.

"So basically, we're running in circles?" Fives asked.

"At least we're running again," Cody said.

"We can run in a square or a triangle if you want," Jia said sweetly, looking at Fives very seriously. "Maybe even a trapezoid if you need to change the shape again. Or a decagon." Fives stared at Jia for a moment and then smiled. Jia looked slightly shocked, but recovered quickly and smiled back. And just like that, their friendship slowly started to repair itself.

Jia looked around at everybody, her eyes flicking back and forth as she thought. Everyone remained silent, not wanting to interrupt her planning.

"You know what this means, right?" she asked finally. The clones shared confused looks while Anela shook her head. Barriss looked at Lylla, who shrugged.

"What does this mean?" Jax finally asked when Jia didn't say anything else. Jia turned bright, excited eyes on him.

"This means we have to con our way to the information. Con and kill," she said, her voice going up half an octave in her excitement. "We're going undercover."

* * *

_Not sure this chapter came out the way I wanted, but it's good enough. If any of you have seen the TV show Leverage, you're probably going to start recognizing some phrases and things in future chapters. Our little team of rescuers are slowly going to start making their way into the world of thieves, conmen, and dark, dirty deals of criminals._

_I know I just updated last night, but this chapter was already mostly written and ready to be posted. Don't expect the next chapter for at least another week, though. School, as annoying as it is, is made a priority, and that usually takes up most of my time. :/ _

_For anyone affected by Sandy, I hope you're okay and well. I know the city just outside the little town I live in got hit pretty badly. Not fun. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter. If there are any requests or ideas of an adventure this crazy, misfit team should go through, please tell me._


	36. Old People and Little Girls

**Old People and Little Girls**

"I don't like this," Jax hissed to Jia out of the corner of his mouth. Jia just glanced briefly up at him and then pushed open the door to the store where Syrus's mom worked.

"May I help you?" the young cashier asked them as they entered.

"We would like to buy your store," Jax said without a preamble. The cashier looked startled at his abruptness.

"Oh, okay, well, you're going to need to talk to Mrs. Reed about that. I'm afraid I can't help you," she said. Jax glanced down at Jia, and she gave a slight nod.

"Miss, if you don't mind, I'm going to need you to come with me," he said in a commanding voice.

"Oh, okay," the cashier said. She moved from behind the counter and Jax encircled her tiny wrist in one of his big hands. He led her out of the store and Jia could see him talking to her.

"Mrs. Reed," she called into the back of the store. "Mrs. Reed, please come out. I need to talk to you." There was some shuffling and then the pinched, grumpy lady that had answered the door at Syrus's house walked out. She stopped short when she saw Jia.

"You again," she snarled. Jia nodded.

"Me again," she said.

"What do you want?" Mrs. Reed asked harshly.

"Your store," Jia answered.

"Not happening," Mrs. Reed snapped. "This store is my only source of income."

"Then would you be so kind as to show me your security tapes?" Jia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Mrs. Reed hissed. Jia nodded slowly.

"Then I will be back," she said. "And I will get either your store or the security tapes." She turned to leave, but paused when Mrs. Reed called her back.

"Wait, wait," the older lady said with a sigh. "You can have the tapes. But none of this is going to go on record."

"Of course not," Jia agreed sweetly. She waited patiently for Mrs. Reed to get the recordings.

"Here," Mrs. Reed said, handing Jia the recordings. "And don't come back."

"That'll depend," Jia said, tucking the recordings away into the backpack she had slung over her shoulder.

"On what?" Mrs. Reed sounded nervous.

"On what I find," Jia said. She nodded once and then walked out the door. Jax was still talking to the cashier.

"But, I don't see why I have to go home," she was saying in her high-pitched, innocent voice. "I need the money to pay for school and I only get paid if I'm here my entire shift."

"Miss, just do as I say. We'll compensate you for your troubles," Jax said, trying hard not to let his irritation show. Jia was impressed. She would have simply dropped the polite act and become rude.

"I would suggest you listen to him," Jia said in a superior tone. The cashier looked at her for a moment and then sighed.

"Okay," she agreed mutinously.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Jia said, smiling as the cashier walked away. As soon as she was gone, Jia gave Jax a look that said _'well, damn.'_ Jax smiled and chuckled softly to himself.

"Did you get them?" he asked as he and Jia started walking back to the ship.

"She did exactly as we thought she would," Jia said. She tossed the backpack to Jax, who caught it and opened it. He looked through it and pulled out a handful of the recordings.

"We have to watch all of these?" he asked, stopping in shock.

"They usually turn out to be more interesting than you would think," Jia said, laughing softly and starting to walk again. Jax looked after her uncertainly.

"If you say so."

* * *

Everyone stared at the huge computer screen in shock, including Jia, before she sprang up from the sofa and started hitting the pause button multiple times on her laptop.

"Ew, ew. Old people!" she cried. The recording finally stopped.

"Now we know why Mrs. Reed didn't want to give us the recordings," Vuur said, blinking multiple times.

"Ew, old people," Jia groaned, letting her head fall back between her shoulders.

"She was having sex with one of her customers," Jax said, not sure how to react.

"Old people," Jia repeated.

"We get it!" Jax snapped, fed up with her.

"Anger management much," Jia snapped back.

"What do we do about this?" Cody asked loudly, cutting off Jax as he opened his mouth to retaliate.

"About what?" Lylla asked. She had known for a while her aunt was cheating on her uncle.

"About this," Viz said in a 'duh' tone.

"Nothing," Jia and Lylla said at the same time.

"Nothing?" Barriss asked, sounding confused.

"We aren't going to bother with other people's business," Jia said decisively, getting up.

"Don't try arguing," Lylla said quietly to Barriss. "She's been cheating on her husband for a while."

Jia listened to the conversation with one ear while she woke Anela up. Anela jerked awake, her eyes wide and terrified until she realized where she was.

"I hate being back here," she whimpered. Jia saw this as an opportunity to ask about what had happened to the girl.

"Why?" she questioned.

"They might find me," Anela whispered. Jia raised her eyebrows, silently asking the girl to explain. Anela sighed but gave in. "My master owned a night club. Some of us were dancers, some of us were singers, some of us took care of the youngest, but we were all-," she broke off here, trembling with wide eyes.

"All what?" Jia prompted gently. Anela lowered her eyes, ashamed and embarrassed.

"Sex slaves," she said almost inaudibly. Jia hugged the girl. She had suspected as much, especially because of the way Anela acted around some of the clones, but she still saw it as a brave thing for the girl to admit.

"It's okay," she soothed. "It's okay. You're safe now. You're protected."

"But the other girls are still there," Anela said tearfully. "The club owners get a shipment of girls every other week. The next shipment will be coming in tomorrow." She looked at Jia, something close to the way Jia used to look at her father in her eyes. "You need to do something," Anela pleaded. "You need to save them. The new girls and the ones that have been there for a long time. You need to save _all of them._"

Jia blinked, weighing all the different scenarios in her head. She could just go and kill the owners. But that wouldn't necessarily liberate the girls. She could grift the owners, but that wouldn't free the girls either. She saw only one way to get them all liberated.

"Hey, everybody," she called, interrupting the debate they were currently having. They all turned to look at her, waiting for her to continue. "I've got our first job. Put the mission to the side for now, we have someone else to save."

"Who?" Lylla asked curiously.

"Anela," Jia said, stepping back. "Why don't you tell them?"

"The rest of the girls from the club," Anela said nervously. Jia nodded and winked at her, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"When?" Jax asked.

"The con starts tomorrow," Jia said.

"What are we going to do?" Barriss asked. Jia smiled a little.

"We are going to steal a female trafficking delivery. And a nightclub. Maybe two," she said.

"How do you do that, exactly?" Rex asked, raising his eyebrows. Jia smirked at him.

"You'll just have to see," she said mysteriously.

* * *

Jia brought up pictures of the three club owners on the giant computer screen.

"Mylz, Malcolm, and Malik Stiener: the three brothers who own the lovely nightclub known as Seventh Heaven. They are continuous participants in a female trafficking scam which kidnaps young girls from backwater planets from all around the galaxy and then sells them into slavery," she said.

"What type of slavery?" Viz asked. Jia glanced at Anela and took a deep breath before she answered.

"The girls become sex slaves," she said. It sounded like all the air was sucked out of the room and everyone looked at Anela, who shrank under their gazes'.

"According to their bank records," Jia said louder than necessary, bringing everyone's attention back to the screen, "the brothers are doing good. Live in the better part of Coruscant. Each has a trophy wife, but no kids." She clicked a button on her laptop and the bank records and pictures of the wives came onto the screen, overlapping the first three pictures.

"The brothers have a few weaknesses, which we are going to use to our advantage," Jia said. She clicked the button again and everything on the screen was replaced by pictures of some of the girls at the club.

"Girls," Zjarr said, suddenly starting to see what Jia was saying. Jia smiled grimly and nodded.

"And after the new delivery somehow disappears, they're going to need some new girls," she said.

"Who's going?" Lylla asked.

"Anela is immediately eliminated because of her age and the fact that the brothers know her face. I'm eliminated because of my body type. I'm too stocky for anyone in their right mind to believe I'm a pole dancer," Jia answered. "Barriss is eliminated because of the fact that she doesn't know how to seduce a guy."

"That leaves me," Lylla whispered. Jia nodded again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jax stiffen and his hand twitch towards the pistol he had holstered on his side. Before anyone could object, Jia stood up and walked to the entrance of her ship.

"But, before any of that, we have an illegal delivery of girls to illegally steal," she said. Everyone clambered up, each grabbing a weapon, and followed Jia out of the ship. As she lead them to the landing platform the ship was going to be one, she smiled. It felt good to be back in to the game.

* * *

"You didn't say it was going to be hard," Jax hissed to Jia as they took cover behind some crates.

"You didn't expect it to be easy, did you?" Jia retorted. She stood up and fired off some shots before crouching back down. There was a cry of pain and she grinned victoriously. "One down, the rest to go," she muttered. Another cry was heard.

"Two, actually," Jax countered. Jia made a face at him and stood up again. Before she could do anything, though, Jax grabbed her and pulled her tight against him. He rolled away from the crates seconds before they exploded.

"Grenade launcher," Jia and Jax said at the same time. They exchanged a somewhat-amused glance.

"Cover me," Jia whispered suddenly.

"What are you going to do?" Jax asked.

"Something stupid," Jia muttered. She paused for a moment to reload her gun, and then she took off running straight into the barrage of shots the traders were giving off. Jax let out a stream of curse words and then jumped up and started picking off the traders one-by-one. Jia's distraction worked well. Within seconds, they fight was won. Jia stood, breathing heavily, but looking triumphant.

"That was the _dumbest_ thing you have _ever_ done," Jax snarled as soon as he reached Jia. Jia just shrugged, locking her jaw so she wouldn't let out a whimper of pain. She had been hit in the shoulder twice; nothing she thought was serious. Jax, though, had a different point of view.

"How many times?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm fine," Jia insisted, trying to push past him into the ship. Jax blocked her way. "Move, Jax," Jia commanded. Jax remained where he was. "Dammit, Jax, move," Jia snapped. Again, Jax remained where he was. Losing her patience, Jia slammed her good shoulder into his chest, causing him to stumble back and out of her way.

She hotwired the doors, moving to the side and grabbing her gun as the opened. When nothing happened, she took a cautious step into the ship. She paused for another moment before taking another step. She came across a light switch and flicked it on with her elbow. She stopped short at what she saw.

Girls were packed into the ship with almost no room to move. They all looked half-starved and watched Jia and the clones with wide, fearful eyes. Jia's nose wrinkled at the strong smell of ammonia coming from the room.

"Oh. My. God," she whispered. She had busted many people for illegal trading, whether it was drugs, money, or anything else, but she had never busted someone for human trafficking. It reminded her of the descriptions she had read in her history book about how the slaves were shipped from Africa to the United States. She put her gun away and slowly took another few steps forward. The girls shrank away from her.

Looking around, Jia saw that they were mostly the same age or younger than Anela. Jia shook her head in disbelief, blinked a couple times, and looked again. Even Jax was speechless for once. Jia snapped out of her shocked stupor and crouched down in front of the nearest girl; a young Twi'lek. The girl made a feeble attempt to scoot away from Jia, but because of how tightly packed they were, she had nowhere to go.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Jia said. The girl shook her head and tried again to scoot away. Jia ground her teeth in frustration. She used to be able to snap out the same sentence in twelve different languages until she got a hit. Now, she felt clueless and lost. She turned to Jax, silently asking for his help with her eyes.

"We're friends," he said in a foreign language Jia didn't understand. But she saw the girl relax a little, although when Jax approached her, she tensed again. Jia reached out slowly, asking with her eyes if the girl was okay with being touched. The girl nodded and Jia ran a finger along the binders the girl was in. They looked like they used the same type of locks handcuffs used. She took a bobby pin and picked the lock. Seconds later, the girl was free.

With Jia's help, she shakily stood up and walked off the ship, where she was met by Barriss and Lylla. They took her to a waiting speeder and Barriss stayed while Lylla went back to help. One-by-one the girls were freed and led off the ship. Five at a time, they were taken to a nice hotel where Jia had "booked" ten rooms, all connected.

It was dark by the time all the girls were at the hotel, cleaned up, and fed. Jia let out a long breath and fell against the wall.

"That was a lot harder than I thought it would be," she said, looking over at Viz, who was standing next to her.

"Yeah, being the good guy does that to you," he said cheekily. Jia let out an exclamation of mock disbelief and raised her hand to hit Viz, but a small voice made them both stop.

"Thank you," someone said so softly Jia thought she had imagined it at first. She turned around and saw the Twi'lek girl standing behind her, looking nervous. "Thank you," she repeated in a stronger voice. Jia felt her heart stop. She had never had someone tell her "thank you" in a way the girl did. She had never been the good guy before. It almost brought tears to her eyes. Almost.

Jia crouched down in front of the girl and placed her hands on her shoulders. She stared into the girl's bright magenta eyes.

"It's what we do," she said very gently. The girl nodded and smiled a little. Jia smiled back and kissed the top of her head. The girl turned to walk away, but then turned and ran back to Jia. She hugged Jia tightly around the waist. Jia blinked in shock and then awkwardly patted the girl on the back. The girl smiled again and then ran off. Viz chuckled softly and Jia snapped her head around to glare at him.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" Viz asked, still chuckling.

"What does?" Jia asked, playing dumb. Viz started to walk away.

"Playing the good guy," he called over his shoulder as he disappeared down the hallway. And that was when the smile graced her face and the tear rolled down her cheek.

* * *

Lylla shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other.

"I'm not so sure about this," she said.

"You'll be fine," Jia said confidently. She finished the final touches on Lylla's outfit and stepped back to admire her work. "One of the best disguises, if I do say so myself," she said proudly.

Lylla walked to the mirror and her eyes widened in shock at the outfit. It was very revealing, but very beautiful at the same time. It was a strapless dress with a tight, leather mini skirt, but the top and bottom pieces were only connected by a thin strip of cloth that ran down the flat planes of Lylla's stomach. It was a pale blue color with hints of brown and decorated by gold swirls.

Her hair was done in a way that it still all hung down, but it was pulled slightly back my multiple bobby pins. Jia had then proceeded to flat iron it only to curl it.

"I look….," Lylla trailed off, not sure how to finish.

"Like you belong in a nightclub," Jia ended the sentence for her, gathering up all the cosmetic supplies she had used and putting them away.

"What if I do something wrong?" Lylla asked.

"You won't," Jia soothed. "Just do exactly what I say and you'll be fine. Besides, you'll have Jax with you, and trust me; he won't let anything happen to you." Lylla looked at Jia for a moment and then took deep, calming breaths. She knew she had to stay focused and not show that she was terrified for the con to work.

"Okay," she said finally. Jia smiled and gave her a quick hug.

"The first one is always the worst," she said.

"Thanks," Lylla snorted sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Jax walked out of the refresher.

"You ready?" he asked Lylla. She took another deep breath and nodded.

* * *

_Okay, here it is. Chapter 36. Gosh, 36 chapters and I'm nowhere near done with the story. Oh well. _

_So, Lylla is becoming the key character here. Jia has to share the spotlight for a little bit. But that's okay; she'll be fine. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but it'll probably be another week or so._


	37. The Fiddle Game

**The Fiddle Game**

Jia handed Lylla and Jax the tiny tracking devices they had used on the shopping trip.

"Okay, so, here's what we do," Jia said, giving them a quick run-down of the way the con worked. "This is called the fiddle game. What happens is that we sell a fiddle to the brothers for a hell lot more than it's worth."

"What's a fiddle?" Lylla asked.

"The more accurate question is who," Jia corrected. "And _you_ are the fiddle."

"How do we do that?" Jax asked.

"You show her off, say she's your best, blah, blah, blah; you make the brothers so jealous that the only way they think they can get Lylla is by trading the majority of their girls," Jia said.

"And after we do that?" Lylla asked, excitement starting to bubble up in her.

"After we do that, we rescue the rest of the girls and keep the brothers from coming after them," Jia answered, opening the door to her ship.

"And what are we planning to do for that?" Jax sighed. Jia shrugged and then shoved them out the door.

"Anela's gonna be on comms in a minute," she called after them. "She'll tell you what to do."

"I will?" Anela asked from behind Jia. Jia just smiled and handed the girl and earbud.

"Come on," she said, leading Anela into the computer room. She directed the young girl to a chair and opened her laptop. "Okay, I've got you on the GPS."

"So how exactly does this work?" Jax asked.

"Say that you would like to start a partnership with the Seventh Heaven club and offer to let Lylla dance at the club, but instead of the brothers paying in cash, they pay you in girls. We're only taking five out of there for now," Jia directed.

"But there are over fifty," Anela objected. Jia ignored her.

"And if they ask to see Lylla dance?" Jax growled. "She hasn't finished learning what she needs to from Anela."

"If they ask to see her dance tell them that they either believe you or they don't get her at the club. Tell them that you refuse to let her dance anywhere except on a stage in a club," Jia said. She had obviously already thought about all the different ways the meeting could play out.

"If it goes bad?" Jax murmured quietly into the earbud. Jia could tell he didn't want Lylla to hear. She momentarily disconnected Lylla and Anela's earbuds.

"If it goes bad you get out of there. We'll try again another time to get the girls," Jia said in a low voice, making sure Anela couldn't hear what she was saying.

"Understood," Jax said after a delay of many moments. Jia knew he didn't agree with her, but she also knew he would follow her orders. She put Anela and Lylla back online.

"Okay, tell me when you're there," she said.

"Here," Lylla murmured right away. Jia blinked in surprise. That had happened a lot sooner than she had expected.

"Then it's all up to you," she said, piggybacking off the wireless feed of a security camera right outside the entrance to the club.

"Right," Jax muttered. "All up to us." He looked at Lylla, who met his gaze evenly, even though she was trembling slightly. She nodded slightly, fixed the camera that had been placed on one of the bobby pins, and Jax pushed open the door.

* * *

"We don't open for another couple hours," a guard said, drawing his gun as Lylla and Jax walked in.

"I want to speak with Mylz, Malcolm, and Malik," Jax called out loudly.

"They aren't here," the guard said somewhat smugly. Jax narrowed his eyes, raised his chin, and took a step towards the guard.

"Let me rephrase that," he said in a low voice. "I am going to speak with Mylz, Malcolm, and Malik." The guard raised his gun, but, faster than the eye could follow, Jax had the guard curled up in a ball on the floor and the gun in his hand. "Do I need to repeat myself?" he asked.

"That won't be necessary," a new voice said. Lylla fought the urge to see who it was. Anela had told her that all the good slaves stayed one step behind their master with their heads down and wouldn't move unless they were told they could. It was turning out to be more difficult than she thought it would be.

Jax turned though, keeping the gun trained on the guard the entire time. The brother he recognized as Mylz stood in a doorway leading into the back of the club.

"What are you here for?" Mylz asked. He took a couple steps towards Jax and Lylla, his eyes on Lylla the entire time. Jax clenched his jaw and then forced himself to relax. Half the con relied on the brothers wanting Lylla.

"Business," Jax said after a moment, keeping his voice smooth and emotionless.

"Business, business," Mylz repeated in a murmur. He raised his voice. "Why don't we come discuss this _business_ in the back? I'm sure my brothers are eager to meet you. And, uh, bring the slave." Lylla raised her eyes to look at Jax, just as practiced, and he jerked his head in the direction Mylz was walking, just as practiced.

"So far, so good," he heard Jia say over the comms. He wanted to tell her to shut up, but that would risk blowing their cover.

Mylz led them into the far back into a room that was comforting cocoa color. Leather and suede couches and chairs furnished the room with one long, polished wood table in the center. Decorative lights hung down from the ceiling, giving the room more of a lounge feeling. Two more men, who Jax identified as Malcolm and Malik, stopped whatever discussion they had been having and turned to watch as Mylz led Jax and Lylla into the room.

"Please, sit," Mylz said, directing Jax to one of the chairs. Lylla walked around so she stood behind the chair on Jax's left side, her head still down.

"Who's this, brother?" Malcolm asked, turning around fully to face Jax.

"A fellow owner who wants to discuss business," Mylz reported, sitting down on a couch next to the chair Jax was in. His eyes flicked to Lylla as he spoke, and she forced herself not to shrink under his gaze. Jax shifted slightly in his seat and cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to him. Malcolm and Malik sat down next to Mylz.

"What type of business?" Malik asked.

"Remember what I told you to say," Jia ordered. This was the hook, and if they blew this, the con was off. "You're club was burned down by pirates, but you saved your best dancer, and have been-"

"My club was burned down by some pirates who apparently were not happy with the fact that they had to give my dancers back. I saved my best dancer, Diamond, and now let different club owners rent her for a few nights," Jax interrupted Jia. He knew what to say. "When I was looking over this area of Coruscant, your club caught my attention." Jia held her breath, waiting to see if the brothers were going to take the bait.

The brothers exchanged glances and then Malcolm asked, "Why?" Jia let out the breath she had been holding and relaxed.

"You get good crowds every night, but they have been slowly declining over the past few months," Jax said. "Diamond will get you those crowds back."

"We'll have to talk about it before we-," Malcolm started to say, but Malik interrupted him.

"No we don't," he argued. "We need the money of those crowds. And look at the slave; she's better, not as worn down, than ours. She'll bring us the people who will bring us the credits."

Malcolm looked ready to object, but then turned to look at Lylla. She looked up at him from under her eyebrows, keeping her face calm, almost smug. Malcolm raised his chin a little, silently asserting his dominance over her. She just gave him a small smirk and a wink.

"Okay," he said, moving his gaze from Lylla to Jax. He stood up and walked to the far wall. Seconds later, part of the wall swung forward, revealing a vault. "How much do you want as a starting fee?"

"I deal in only two types of payment from other owners," Jax said, standing up. "I either get the club, or I get the girls." That made Malcolm freeze. He turned to look back at Mylz and Malik, who had also gotten up.

"Then it's a no," Malcolm said, closing the door to the vault. "I'm sorry." Mylz and Malik shared a glance and then pulled Malcolm aside.

"This is really gonna get us the money we need," Mylz said in a low voice. "And, look at the slave. Really look at her. She must be one hell of a dancer for him to save her and leave the others. All the girls we have here are _nothing_ compared to her." Malcolm looked to Malik, who just nodded in silent agreement with Mylz. Malcolm sighed and gave in.

"Fine," he said. He turned back to Jax. "Come on, I'll take you back to see the girls." Lylla moved from her position next to the chair to resume her place behind Jax. As she walked passed Mylz, he let his hand brush against her buttocks. She bit her tongue to keep from saying anything and kept walking.

Jax saw it, even though his back was turned.

"Please," he asked Malcolm as they walked. "Tell your brothers not to touch my slave unless they are willing to pay for her." Malcolm chuckled.

"I will," he said. He led them into another room and pushed open the door. Girls scrambled up from cots and chairs to stand in a line with their arms clasped in front of them and their heads bent in submission. Malcolm made a sweeping gesture with his arm. "Take your pick." He stepped back and Jax took his place.

"Anela, now is when we need you," he breathed, knowing the earbud would pick it up. Lylla moved her head very slightly and very slowly from one side to the other, letting the camera see all the girls.

"There, those, at the end," Anela said suddenly.

"Specify," Jia ordered, saving Jax from having to say anything.

"The left end. The two girls standing at the very end," Anela said, sounding frantic. "Those are the only two from the last shipment he got."

"What about the others?" Jia asked, again saving Jax the trouble.

"Most girls don't make it past the first week," Anela murmured. Jax forced down the hot white fury that boiled up in him and slowly made his way over to the left end of the line of girls.

"Those two," he said, nodding at the two girls Anela had pointed out. They gave a nearly inaudible gasp and then stepped forward. Jax looked at Malcolm. "Take their collars off. It'll give us away as soon as we leave here," he ordered. Malcolm sighed but did as asked. He then directed the two girls to stand behind Lylla.

"Okay, umm, the girl in the black with the bruise on her arm," Anela said. "She was on the transport with me. She tried to run away like I did, but the brothers got her before she could get off the landing platform." Jax pretended to look around for a moment and then nodded at the girl in the black.

"She is one of our best, even at a young age," Malcolm tried to talk Jax out of his decision.

"You said I could have my pick," Jax growled, narrowing his eyes. "If you need, I could always make new arrangements to our agreement." As he spoke, he casually patted the pistol at his side.

"I think our deal is fine without any alterations," Mylz said quickly, stepping in front of Malcolm. Jax nodded slowly.

"Then give me the girl," he said. Malcolm slumped his shoulders in defeat and removed the collar from the girl. She walked to stand behind Lylla and next to her fellow dancers. Her face was void of emotion, but her eyes held the fear she had of Jax and of what would happen to her.

"Two more," Jia said into the comm. "Anela, choose carefully." While Anela was making up her mind, Jax pretended to inspect the rest of the girls.

"The two girls that are dressed in matching outfits," Anela decided finally.

"Specify," Jia ordered again.

"The two oldest," Anela said. Jia nodded.

"Good choice," she said.

"The two oldest," Jax repeated to Malcolm. Malcolm waved the girls forward and they walked delicately, carefully, towards Lylla, positioning themselves behind the other girls. Jax looked over the girls with a critical eye and then nodded in mock satisfaction. "These girls will serve me well," he said. "Thank you for your cooperation."

"Anytime," Malcolm said in a strained voice. Jax nodded once to him and then led the group out to doors. They walked around a corner to Barriss, who was waiting for them in a speeder.

"Took you long enough," she said, turning the speeder on.

"The brothers took some convincing," Jax said, opening the doors and ushering the girls into it.

"Everybody, get in," Lylla ordered quietly. "Come on."

"Who are you people?" the girl in the black asked.

"Just get in," Barriss said. "We'll explain on the way."

"The way to where?" one of the youngest questioned, climbing into the speeder and squeezing in next to Lylla.

"A safe place until we can get you to your new home," Jax answered.

"Wait, so you aren't a club owner?" the girl in black asked.

"Now you're catching on," Lylla said. "Now, let's move or Jia's gonna be-"

"Very angry," Jax finished. Barriss nodded in agreement, although she was smiling at the same time.

"I can still hear you," Jia buzzed in over the comms. Jax froze and Lylla's eyes widened. Barriss started laughing silently as she flew the girls away from the nightmare that was now over for them.

* * *

"Everyone, this is Kiki, Shimmer, and Bleu," Anela introduced three of the girls. Kiki and Shimmer were the two oldest; Bleu was the girl in black. "I don't know the other girls," she said apologetically.

"I'm Flower and this is Daisy," one of the youngest said.

"We're sisters," Daisy added quietly.

"So are we," Shimmer said, nodding at Kiki.

"I'm all alone," Bleu said with a shrug, her eyes twinkling with humor.

"I'm here," Anela said. Bleu laughed and hugged her friend. And then she sighed a happy breath of relief.

"It feels good to know I never have to go back there," she breathed.

"Well, we're currently searching for good families willing to adopt," Jia said. They had already placed the majority of the other girls in homes.

"What about the other girls?" Flower asked.

"We'll get them out, don't worry," Lylla said. She had changed out of her stripper outfit and into comfortable sweatpants and a cami.

"So, you aren't really a dancer?" Daisy asked. Lylla shook her head.

"Then that was all a lie?" Bleu sounded shocked. She looked at Jax and he nodded.

"Okay, who are you people?" Kiki asked in a firm voice. Cody looked up from the datapad he had been reading and Kiki flinched away from him, as if expecting him to hurt her. Jia shared a look with Jax and then looked over at Cody, who smiled a little and looked back down at his datapad.

Jia nodded a little herself and then looked pointedly up at Lylla. She blinked her understanding and then said, "It depends on whether you're the person we're saving or destroying. We can be either the Angel of Death, or the White Knight."


	38. Moving On

_Just in time for Thanksgiving. I tried to express the holiday subtly in this chapter. I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving. I know I did. I now feel fat and bloated, but the feast was good. Anyways, I know this chapter is short, but I really, really wanted to get this out today. Let me know what you think. _

**Moving On**

Lylla yawned and walked into the cockpit of Jia's ship where Jax was sitting reviewing information on a datapad. She wrapped her robe tighter around her body and sat down next to Jax.

"Where's Jia?" she asked. Jax shrugged, not looking up from the datapad. Lylla sighed and got up, going to get some breakfast. Jax glanced up briefly as she walked off and then rolled his eyes. Everyone needed to stop trying to know where Jia was and what she was doing all the time. He figured she deserved some privacy and a chance to have some secrets.

* * *

Jia took a deep breath and knocked on the door to Maddison's dorm. She held her breath while she waited, wishing for once she had the Jedi's power to sense someone's presence. The door finally slid open and Maddison stood there, her brown eyes wide as she stared up at Jia.

"Hey, Maddie," Jia murmured, shifting nervously.

"Jia?" Maddison asked quietly. Jia nodded. Maddison reached up on hand and placed it on Jia's cheek, checking to see if she was actually there. Then she threw herself at Jia. "Jia!" she cried. Jia caught her and stumbled back into the hallway.

"I'm here," she said into Maddison's hair, hugging the little girl tightly. "I'm here."

"Yes, you are," Jacob said, walking up behind Jia. She froze and placed Maddison on the ground, turning to face Jacob.

"Jacob," she greeted in a reserved voice. Maddison hid partially behind Jia's leg and glared up at her cousin.

"Why are you here?" Jacob asked, keeping his voice neutral.

"I need the recording you said you would get me. About the witness of the kidnapping," Jia answered, also keeping her voice neutral.

"Right," Jacob nodded. He gently pried Maddison off Jia and sent her back into her dorm. He started walking down the hallway and Jia followed, staying a foot behind him and making sure her eyes stayed staring straight ahead. A thick and uncomfortable silence settled over the two of them. Finally, Jacob couldn't stand it anymore. He turned to partially face Jia.

"Okay, look," he started, but Jia placed two fingers to his lips and shook her head.

"Don't," she said quietly. "You'll only make it worse."

"I was gonna say sorry," Jacob said against her fingers. Jia just shook her head again and started walking faster.

"I said don't," she called over her shoulder. Jacob sighed and gave up, picking up speed so he could catch up to Jia.

"Okay," Jacob sighed. "I won't apologize." Jia just nodded and continued walking. Finally, they reached Jacob's dorm. He opened the door and stepped to the side, allowing Jia to enter before him. She walked in, Jacob following. The door slid shut behind them and Jia immediately went on high alert.

"Where's the recording?" she asked, backing herself up against the wall so Jacob wouldn't be able to sneak up on her.

"Right here," Jacob answered, pulling a holo-disc out of his bedside table. He approached Jia cautiously, trying to silently tell her he didn't mean any harm. Jia remained tense and ready, her eyes never leaving Jacob's face. He handed her the holo-disc and Jia turned to leave. "I'll escort you out," Jacob offered. Jia gave him a small smile.

"I'm fine," she said. Jacob tipped his head to the side and rephrased his sentence.

"I'm escorting you out," he said in a firmer voice. Jia opened her mouth to argue and then snapped her mouth shut, deciding against it. She gave in with a sigh and nodded with mutinous agreement.

At first they walked in silence, until Jacob, again, couldn't stand it anymore. He stopped and took a step in front of Jia, forcing her to stop also. She looked up at him, her hand twitching towards her knife.

"Don't try it," Jacob warned. Jia slowly moved her hand away from her knife and stared directly into Jacob's pale green eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked when he didn't say anything. Jacob sighed and ran his hand through his short hair.

"What happened to us?" he asked her finally. Jia pretended to think.

"Let's see," she said, shifting her weight to her left leg. "I made a fail-safe to keep you and Maddison safe using CIS information that was given to me and you decided that I was traitor and you hated me."

"Hate's a harsh word," Jacob muttered.

"But a very accurate one," Jia snapped.

"Look, I made a mistake. I realize that now," Jacob turned pleading eyes on Jia. "I love you."

Jia's brow furrowed together in agony and she closed her eyes. It was so tempting; everything was so tempting. How close Jacob was to her, the sound of his voice, his smell, his heat. His words. She felt the pull of what he said. She wanted to repeat the sentiment to him. But she didn't.

She had imagined many times hearing Jacob say those words to her, but now that he did, she realized she didn't feel the way she thought she would.

"Jacob," she said quietly, opening her eyes again, "I don't love you anymore. You told me you were done, and I accepted that. Now it's your turn to accept that I am done." Jacob sighed and closed his eyes for a long moment. They reopened when he felt Jia's hand on his cheek.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you," she murmured. On sudden impulse, Jacob gently grabbed her face and gave her sweet and short kiss. Jia smiled a little as he pulled away.

"I'm going to miss you," Jacob said sadly, blinking tears away. Jia wiped a stray tear off his cheek.

"I'll be back," she promised. She half-grinned. "What would Maddison do if I didn't return?" Jacob didn't smile. Jia sighed.

"Promise me one thing," she said quietly.

"What?" Jacob asked.

"Promise you won't die to protect me," Jia pleaded. Jacob was silent for a couple moments before he answered.

"I promise," he said, but even as he spoke, Jia could see him searching for a loophole in his promise. She decided not to call attention to it.

"Thank you," she whispered. She stretched up and kissed his cheek and then turned and made her way to the main enterance. As she stepped out into the bright sunlight she suddenly felt happier and lighter than she had in days. She walked down the steps and joined the crowds that crowded the streets.

"Jax," she contacted him.

"Plan to tell me where you've been?" Jax's distorted voice came through her comm. Jia smiled and sighed happily.

"Moving on."

* * *

Lylla flew Anela and Bleu to the coordinates that Shimmer and Kiki had given them. It led them to an abandoned, multi-story building that over-looked about half of the city.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked, circling the building.

"Yeah, just let us off on the roof," Bleu directed. Lylla sighed but complied, stopping the speeder and letting the girls out.

"Call when you're ready to be picked up," she called as she left.

"Will do," Anela said, knowing Lylla wasn't able to hear her. She turned to Bleu. "What are we doing here?"

"Watching," Bleu answered.

"Watching what?" Anela asked.

"Watching," Bleu ordered. She sat down on the edge of the roof and looked back at Anela. "You coming?" Anela shrugged and sat down next to her best friend.

"So what are we watching?" she asked Bleu again.

"Around this time every day, the position of the sun in relation with this building causes optical illusions when you stare down at the people on the streets," Bleu explained. Anela tipped her head to the side as she stared down at the far-away ground.

"So what type of optical illusions?" she asked.

"I asked Shimmer and Kiki. They said it changes every day," Bleu said.

"Change according to what?" Anela felt that her entire side of the conversation was questions.

"According to what is making you the happiest that day. Your optical illusion will be somehow related to that thing," Bleu murmured in a faraway voice. Anela looked at her and then looked down again. She let her eyes defocus and suddenly saw everything glaze over blue. And then the shape changed into two flowers, still blue. She gasped as she realized what it meant.

She looked up at Bleu, who was watching her with amusement.

"Did you get it?" she asked. Anela nodded. "So what was it?"

"Seeing all of you guys," Anela said. Bleu smiled.

"Mine was seeing you again," she said. "You became my best friend on that transport."

"I feel bad for leaving you there," Anela sighed. Bleu elbowed her.

"You got me out," she tried to comfort Anela.

"Jax and Lylla did," Anela contradicted. "We all did. As a team."

"So what happens after this?" Bleu asked.

"After what?" Anela countered.

"After all of this. After Jia and Jax take down the brothers. After we get new homes. What happens then?" Bleu elaborated. Anela shrugged.

"I guess we try to move on," she said thoughtfully.

"What if we don't want to move on?" Bleu asked fiercely.

"Then I guess we don't," Anela said in the same thoughtful voice.

"You know we're gonna get separated soon," Bleu said after a couple minutes of silence. Anela sighed.

"I know."

"Where do you think you'll go?" Bleu asked.

"To a good family," Anela answered promptly. "Jia will make sure of that."

"What about me?" Bleu asked. Anela could tell her friend didn't want to go to an adoptive family. She hugged her friend.

"I'll take you to my new home with me," she promised.

"And then we'll be able to move on together," Bleu said. Anela nodded.

"Together," she affirmed. The two girls hugged and then went back to looking for optical illusions.

* * *

Jax sat in the living room of the ship, waiting for Lylla to return from the refresher. Jia had given everyone off until the brothers contacted Jax for Lylla. Everyone had gone off on their own little expeditions and he and Lylla were the only two left on the ship.

When she didn't come out, he decided to go see what was wrong. He paused at the door when he heard the sounds of vomiting.

"Lylla?" he asked hesitantly. When she didn't answer, he forced open the door and went in. Lylla was sitting on the floor next to the toilet, leaning against the wall.

"I'm fine," she croaked. Jax sat down next to her and rubbed her back in slow soothing circles.

"You are not fine," he argued. Lylla offered him a weak smile and then started retching again. When she finally stopped she took a deep breath. Jax wiped her mouth off with a washcloth and draped his arm over shoulders, pulling her into him.

When she didn't say anything, he turned her face up to look at him.

"You gonna tell me what's wrong with you?" he asked. Lylla hesitated, her face twisting into one of fear and anticipation.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered finally. Jax froze.

"Who's the father?" he asked eventually.

"Another clone," Lylla choked out. Jax nodded slowly, his mind working furiously. When he didn't remove his arm, Lylla looked at him curiously. "Aren't you angry?"

"No," Jax said neutrally. Lylla looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"You are angry," she whispered. Jax sighed and gave in.

"A little," he admitted. He kissed Lylla on top of the head. "But not too much." Lylla breathed a sigh of relief and Jax wrinkled his nose at the smell of vomit on her breath.

"I'm over him, though," Lylla murmured, burrowing herself into his side.

"Well, that's good," Jax said. Lylla looked back up at him.

"Why?" she asked.

"If you're not over him, we can't be a family," Jax pointed out. Lylla's eyes widened as she processed what he said, and then she let out a squeal of happiness and hugged Jax tightly.

"We're gonna be a family," she said happily. "We're gonna be a family."


	39. Let's Dance

**Let's Dance**

Barriss gently placed her hands on Lylla's stomach and closed her eyes. She could feel the Force thrumming under her hands, confirming what Lylla had told Jax earlier. Jia shifted impatiently.

"Well?" she prompted when Barriss didn't say anything. Barriss opened her eyes and removed her hands. Lylla pulled down her shirt and looked hopefully at the Jedi Healer.

"She's pregnant," she said with a nod. Jia let out a groan and closed her eyes. Lylla picked up on Jia's frustration and leaned into Jax, who glared at her.

"What's your problem?" he growled at her.

"I can't be responsible for a pregnant nineteen-year-old while we're on this mission!" Jia exclaimed.

"Why not?" Anela piped up from where she was laying on one of the bunks with Bleu.

"If anything is to happen to her or the child…," Jia trailed off, struggling to explain. "It's not safe for either one of them. And with a child, loyalties are going to shift; that can't happen. We need to all be united and together in this." As she spoke, Lylla bit her lip and glanced up at Jax, who looked down at her sheepishly. Jia saw this and nodded at them to prove her point.

"It can't be that bad," Cody decided to join the conversation. "You said yourself Lylla would remain on the ship." Jia turned to him with an exasperated expression.

"You're not helping here," she snapped.

"He's helping Jax," Ouro spoke up, looking up at Jia.

"That's right," Rex said, taking a step towards Jia. "Brothers stick together through everything." Jia threw her hands up in the air.

"I just can't win this, can I?" she asked.

"Actually, I'm with Jia," Fives said, stepping up next to the assassin. Jia turned to look at him with eyes wide with surprise, but then she smiled. "It's too dangerous for Lylla and the child." Jax opened his mouth to speak, but Fives cut him off. "Look, vod, I get that you have feelings for the girl and want to be a father to the child, but we're on a rescue mission here. Besides, when this is done, how often will you get to see the child or her? I think it's better if she leaves the mission."

"I agree," Barriss said quietly. She looked to Cody apologetically as she spoke. "Something could go terribly wrong, especially during the birthing process, and we don't have the equipment here to handle all of the problems that may arise."

"Thank you, both of you," Jia said, nodding her thanks to Fives and Barriss.

"I'm not leaving this mission," Lylla said determinedly. "I'm going to do everything I can to help find the Jedi." Jia closed her eyes and rubbed her hand over her forehead.

"You can't stay if I order you to leave," she said. "Once you have the child, and if we're still looking for the Jedi, you can rejoin us."

"Then I'm walking," Jax said decidedly.

"No, you're not," Jia argued.

"You drop Lylla, I walk," Jax threatened. Jia let out a quiet, wordless whine. She couldn't afford to lose Jax, and if he left, Shadow Squad would follow suit. And who knew what sort of trouble they would get into?

"Besides, we need to finish the con," Lylla said timidly. Jia whipped her head around but her glare softened when her gaze landed on Lylla's stomach.

"I'll think about it," she said finally. Lylla nodded her thanks and then retreated to the workout room. Everyone else dispersed around the ship as they realized the discussion was over. Jax approached Jia.

"I know you're going to tell her to leave as soon as the con is over," he said to Jia in a low voice. Jia sighed and nodded. "I'm not bluffing when I say I'll walk," he continued.

"Jax, we can't lose you. You're, like, the un-elected co-leader of this team," Jia tried to reason with him. Jax just shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he told her. "I told Lylla we would be a family. I'm going to be as true to my word as I can be. That means walking when you release her."

"You could get a court marshal for that," Jia squeaked. A few people looked towards the clone and the girl, and then went back to what they were doing.

"It doesn't matter," Jax repeated. Jia closed her eyes and Jax pulled her into a hug. He knew she wouldn't let anybody see it, but she was exhausted, stressed, and over-worked. "Hey," he said, switching from threatening her to trying to comfort her, "you know what you're doing. This wasn't going to be easy. We all know that. If you need any help, just tell one of us."

"I don't like asking for help," Jia muttered against his torso. "It makes me seem weak." Jax rolled his eyes at her.

"It makes you seem human," he countered. It was Jia's turn to roll her eyes. She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. Jax could tell she was just about asleep on her feet.

"Go get some rest or something," he instructed. Jia shook her head.

"I can't do that," she said. "The brothers are going to be calling soon. We need to be ready."

"You need to be alert," Jax sighed. "You aren't helping anybody by working yourself to exhaustion. Get some rest."

"I'm fine," Jia argued. Jax ignored her, picked her up, and carried her over to one of the bunks.

"I said rest," he said in a commanding voice. Jia smiled exhaustedly and then rolled over. Jax could tell she fell asleep immediately by the way her breathing evened out. He draped a blanket over her and then went to join Lylla in the workout room.

He found her sitting on the edge of the pool, her legs dangling down into the water. He went and sat next to her.

"You don't think Jia's right, do you?" she asked him. "I mean, should I leave the team?"

"No," Jax answered immediately.

"She's gonna send me away, isn't she?" Lylla asked with a resigned sigh. Jax pulled Lylla into his side and rested his head on the top of hers.

"I won't let her," he murmured. Lylla smiled and then turned and buried her face in Jax's chest. Jax ran his hand down her hair and closed his eyes enjoying this moment. The beeping of his comm, interrupting the moment, reminded him that moments like that never lasted forever.

* * *

"Ten girls per night, plus a fee of six girls per dance," Jax said. Malcolm gawked at him.

"We can't afford that," he started to argue. Mylz elbowed his brother out of the way and took his place.

"We can do that," he said. Jax just nodded. He led Lylla into the back room where the other dancers were.

"You'll stay in here until the club opens," he told her. Lylla nodded, kissed his cheek quickly, and then joined the group of girls. Jax watched her walk away and then went to rejoin the brothers. As soon as he left, some of the older dancers turned on Lylla.

"Your master is taking away from our little source of income," one of them hissed. Lylla flinched away from her, but remained silent. She couldn't tell anyone of the con in case they went to the brothers and told.

"Yeah, and what happened to Shimmer, Kiki, Bleu, Flower, and Daisy?" a younger girl asked. "We haven't seen them at all!"

"They're safe; and soon you will be, too," Lylla promised. The girl that had first spoken to her let out a snort of disbelief and rolled her eyes.

"Well, I would get some rest if I were you," she said. Then her gaze softened and she let out a sigh. "Your master might be good to you, but in this club he has no jurisdiction. The brothers are brutal. They'll hurt you. You'll need your strength." Lylla nodded and then held out her hand.

"Diamond," she introduced herself. The girl returned her handshake.

"Summer," she said. Lylla smiled at Summer, deciding she was the next one that was going to be freed.

"By the end of the night, you're going to be safe, I promise," Lylla said in a low voice, making sure no one else overheard. Summer nodded.

"I won't tell," she promised, picking up on the fact that no one else was to know. Lylla nodded her thanks.

"I think I'm going to follow your advice and get some sleep," she said. Summer smiled.

"This way," she said, leading Lylla over to where blankets were laid out side-by-side on the ground, making sleeping pallets. Both girls laid down, Lylla on her stomach and Summer staring up at the ceiling. "Are you really a dancer?" she asked Lylla after a couple minutes.

"Why do you ask that?" Lylla murmured sleepily.

"You are much more sure of yourself than any other dancer I've met," Summer explained. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "And you kissed your master on the cheek. Most slaves don't do that."

"He prefers a more equal ruling," Lylla said, struggling to stay awake. She really was exhausted.

"Are you here to save us?" Summer asked suddenly. Lylla laughed quietly.

"Don't you think we would have already if we were?" she asked. With that, she blocked out Summer and fell asleep.

* * *

Lylla and Sumer opened the door a crack and peeked into the main room of the club. Lylla made a face of disgust at the crowd she saw.

"Lovely group of people, aren't they?" Summer teased quietly. Lylla shook her head and sighed. Summer looked curiously at Lylla. "What type of customers did your master have?"

"Better ones than this," Lylla muttered. She let out a sigh and wrinkled her nose. "They're disgusting!" Summer nodded her agreement. Footsteps were heard and both girls leapt away from the door. Seconds later, Mylz walked into the room.

"Diamond, you're the first dance of the night," he said, grabbing her arm tightly and pulling her towards the door. Lylla took a deep breath and slowly made her way up onto the stage. As soon as she was on the stage, the club became quieter, watching her eagerly. Lylla looked at Jax and he nodded encouragement.

_Only a few days of this, _she thought to herself. And then the music started playing. Remembering what Anela had told her, along with some comments added by Bleu, Shimmer, Kiki, Flower, and Daisy, Lylla started dancing.

She swung her hips and moved her legs seductively, arching her back and keeping her eyes half-closed. She swore she could see Mylz at the very back of the room, drooling. The music ended and so did Lylla's dance. Men immediately turned to the brothers, offering money for her. Malcolm smile. He was actually starting to think letting Lylla dance at the club was a good idea, even though he was losing most of his girls.

"Not until the club closes," Jax hissed to Malcolm. He sighed but relented, not wanting to anger Jax. Malcolm nodded, still collecting money for Lylla.

As all this was going on, Lylla slipped off the stage and made her way back into the back room. She was greeted by Summer.

"How'd it go?" the dancer asked. Lylla shrugged.

"I've had better nights," she said.

"So, you haven't been thrown into the crowd yet?" Summer asked. Lylla looked at her in confusion and Summer shook her head, silently telling Lylla '_never mind.'_

"So, do you dance tonight?" Lylla asked Summer. Summer shook her head.

"I wish I did, though," she said with a sigh. "Whenever I, or any of the senior girls, don't dance, one of the younger girls has to. We try to protect them, we do everything we can, but a place like this…"

"It ruins them," Lylla finished quietly. She nodded her understanding, feeling even more determined to get every last girl out of the club.

"It's not fair to them," Summer said, her voice rising as she got worked up. Lylla placed calming hands on her shoulders and rubbed them in soothing circles.

"Hopefully, if this all works, they won't be here for long," she said. Summer took some calming breaths and then turned to face Lylla.

"Who are you?" she asked. "You aren't a dancer. You aren't a stripper. You aren't a slave." Lylla just smiled and shook her head.

"I wish I could tell you," she said, still smiling. "And someday, maybe I will." Summer rolled her eyes.

"Why all the secrets?" she asked.

"Because I can have them," Lylla answered somewhat smugly. Summer shrugged.

"Well, according to the schedule, you're up to dance in about thirty minutes. I'm in fifteen minutes. Get some sleep," she suggested.

"Is that all you do? Sleep?" Lylla asked.

"You'll learn that's all you want to do," Summer told her seriously. Lylla sighed and made her way to the back of the room. She lay down on the pallet, thinking she wouldn't be able to sleep. Within moments, though, she was curled up under a blanket, snoring softly.

* * *

"Your slave is bringing us good money," Malcolm commented to Jax. It was after closing time on the third night Lylla had been dancing. Jax raised an eyebrow and then nodded.

"I told you she would," he said. He glanced over at Mylz and Malik who were talking quietly together in the corner. They kept glancing over at Jax and Malcolm. "Any idea what your brothers are talking about?" he asked, nodding towards Mylz and Malik. Malcolm shrugged.

"Not a clue," he said. Jax nodded, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. Something wasn't right. As Malcolm spoke, Malik approached him. He whispered something in his ear, and Jax strained to hear it. He caught the word "fake" and immediately went on alert.

Malcolm nodded slowly and then pulled his gun out. He pointed it at Jax. Mylz and Malik took a step back, leaving their brother room to do his dirty work.

"Who are you?" Malcolm asked. Jax tipped his head to the side.

"You know who I am," he answered in a smooth, even tone.

"You are a liar," Malcolm said. "It's all over. We know who you are."

At that moment, Lylla walked out of the back room of the club, ready to meet Jax and Barriss at the speeder waiting around the corner. She had changed out of the dress and into sweats.

"Your dancer isn't a dancer, is she?" Malcolm asked. When Jax remained silent, he grabbed Lylla and held the gun to the side of her neck. "_Is she?_"

"No," Jax ground out. Malcolm curled his lip in a mock smile.

"Now we're getting somewhere," he said. The remaining dancers watched the exchange through the slightly open door. They were shocked that Jax and Lylla had managed to get away with the con for as long as they did; the brothers always found out.

Malcolm held Lylla against him and pointed the gun at Jax again.

"No one is leaving until I get my dancers back," he growled.

"That'll be difficult seeing as we've sent them all away," Jax said smugly. Malcolm started trembling with fury. He shot at Jax, who ducked out of the way and grabbed his own gun. In the confusion of the sudden fight, Jax snatched Lylla from Malcolm and shoved her towards the door.

"Get out," he ordered. Lylla stopped at the door and turned back, looking for some way to help Jax. "I said go," he snarled as Malcolm shot at him again. Jax rolled out of the way and Malcolm moved his gun to Lylla. She gasped and ducked out the door, the laser shots missing her by a couple inches.

There were a few moments of calmness and Lylla took off down the street towards where Barriss was waiting with the speeder and the girls that were the "payment" for that night.

"Lylla, what's wrong?" Barriss asked.

"Just go," Lylla gasped. Barriss didn't stop to ask any questions. She took off, and Lylla contacted Jia.

"You guys should be back by now," Jia growled before Lylla could get a word out.

"Jia, the con's gone bad. Jax is still in there. The brothers found out somehow," Lylla reported in a desperate tone. Jia let out a growl.

"I'm on my way," she hissed.

"No, wait," Barriss said. "You're a conman right?"

"Yeah," Jia answered impatiently.

"Then run another con," Barriss told her. "You don't always have to rush into everything."

"Are you suggesting a con on a con?" Jia asked, starting to catch onto what Barriss was saying.

"Yes," Barriss said. Lylla nodded.

"It might work," she said, starting to calm down.

"It better," Jia said in a dangerously low voice. "Or there are going to be three more deaths on my hands."

Barriss and Lylla decided to ignore Jia's last sentence. It was, after all, what she specialized in.


	40. The Wire Pt 1

_Here is the next chapter. I know it's short, and I know it took me, like, forever to get it out, and I apologize, but there's a lot of craziness happening at the moment, and it takes up a lot of my time. I will try to get part 2 out shortly, but no promises there._

**The Wire**

**(Part 1)**

Jia looked around at the group of people gathered around her. She took a deep breath. Never had so much of a con relied on people so inexperienced.

"Okay, ready?" she asked. The second con was going to be fast-paced and would likely get anyone killed who was caught.

"We're ready," Rex said in a calm voice, seeing how nervous she was.

"This con is called the wire. It's a gambling con. The minimum time it takes to pull this off successfully is three weeks. We have one hour. Barriss goes in as the gambler because she can use the Force to influence the outcome. Everything else that happens will probably be by chance and we just have to roll with it," Jia said. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes.

"We will do this and get Jax back," Barriss said in her soft voice. She knew that Jia had a special connection to the clone, not quite lovers, but not just friends.

"I hope so," Jia whispered. Then she shook herself and changed into the commanding team leader she was supposed to be.

"Alright," she said, nodding at the group. "Let's move. Time to go do something that I have never ever done before and will probably never want to ever do again."

* * *

Barriss walked into the club, looking around with a bored expression on her face. She was in a tight leather outfit with a gun at her right hip. Her lightsaber was concealed in a small backpack, which also served as an automatic hacking device. Jia wanted to find out how the brothers had learned about them so they wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"Who are you?" Mylz, who was playing guard for the main room, asked.

"I was told that my boyfriend got caught, again, for trying to con someone and the police told me to come here," Barriss said in an obnoxious, annoyed voice.

"Great work," Jia complemented in a tight voice as she listened to the conversation through the earbud.

"Your boyfriend stole quite a lot from us," Mylz ground out. Barriss let out an annoyed sigh and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, well, I got something you might," she said.

"What?" Mylz asked with suspicious interest.

"You want your girls?" Barriss asked. "I got them. But I ain't just giving them away. You know how to gamble, boy?"

"I am pretty good," Mylz said, flicking his tongue over his lips as he thought.

"Then we play. I win, I get the girls, and my boy. You win, you get the girls, my boy, and me," Barriss told him, sauntering over to the bar. Mylz followed her, his eyes roaming her body. Barriss's skin crawled as she sensed what he wanted, but she forced herself to remain cool and collected.

"You need to let him think he's winning for a while, 'cause then he'll start putting in more of his girls. At the last minute is when you'll get "lucky" and win," Jia instructed. "While you're learning how business is done in the Underworld, Cody and Rex will be _figuring out how the brothers found out about us._" She raised her voice on the last bit, and Barriss heard a clone voice make a witty response, but she couldn't quite make out what he said. She swallowed to keep from laughing at the exchange. Only Jia would say something like that at such a tense moment.

"Ladies first," Mylz said, handing Barriss a chance cube. Barriss looked at the cube and then back up at Mylz.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to use the 'fresher," she said with a smile. She handed the cube back to him and made her way the small, dirty refresher that was off to the side. She closed the door and opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Jia.

"What the hell?" she snapped.

"Jia, I don't know what you're used to gambling with, but the way it works here is a little different," Barriss whispered.

"How so?" Jia sighed.

"With a chance cube, it's place a bet and then roll the cube. Usually the cube is used for races or games-," Barriss was interrupted by Jia.

"Or dances," she finished. "Well, you get to teach him how I was taught to gamble. I'll walk you through it."

"Okay," Barriss said. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and then went back out into the main room where Mylz was waiting.

"Daddy would be so proud of me," she heard Jia mutter sarcastically. "I'm gambling with criminals. No wait, I'm having my friend gamble with them while I sit behind a computer screen." Barriss fought the urge to laugh again.

"Ready now?" Mylz asked. Barriss could tell he was eager to start.

"String him out, that way you're able to set the rules," Jia said.

"I don't know, almost," Barriss said, walking around the counter and helping herself to a drink. She took a sip and turned back around to face Mylz. "Is it okay if we gamble the way my daddy taught me?"

"Sure, beautiful," Mylz said in a husky voice, leaning forwards over the bar counter. Barriss pushed him away from her.

"Behave yourself, now," she teased him with a smirk. Mylz smiled a little and sat back in his chair.

"So, how we gonna do this?" he asked. Barriss paused for a moment, pretending to think, while Jia told her what to say.

"You get red, I get blue," she started. "We use these-" she grabbed a handful of napkins and took and pen and started writing the names of the dancers she knew on the napkins "-in place of the actual dancers. We go until one of us is out of girls."

"That's an interesting way to play," Mylz commented carefully. Barriss turned to look directly at him.

"My daddy was an interesting man," she replied. Mylz nodded slowly.

"Fine," he said, also grabbing a handful of napkins.

"Good work," Jia complemented. "Now you work your magic. I've got some of my own magic to release on a couple people."

"Nothing crazy now," Wooley muttered over the comms.

"Please," Jia said. "It's me. What could possibly be crazy that I'll do?"

"Knowing you, you aren't taking back-up," Fives joined the conversation.

"Well, I am," Jia countered.

"Just not one of us," Tenger snapped.

"Yeah, because you guys need to be back-up to Barriss, Cody and Rex are currently busy splicing files, the rest of Shadow Squad is guarding the rest of the girls, which leaves Fox, Waxer, and Boil to come with me," Jia stated calmly. Barriss just rolled her eyes slightly at the exchange. Then she looked back at Mylz. He smiled and held out his hand.

"Like I said, ladies first."

* * *

Malcolm punched Jax again and the clone merely licked his lip, the metallic taste of blood spreading over his tongue.

"Where are our dancers?" Malik repeated his question. Jax shrugged.

"I told you, we sent them somewhere safe," he said quietly. Malcolm punched him again and he grimaced when he heard a rib crack.

"Now that ribs broken," Malik said. "Plan to rephrase your answer?" Jax ground his teeth together. He had expected Jia to assemble a team to rescue him a lot sooner than this. And if she hadn't, he had been expecting the door to the room he was into be blown off by the rest of his squad. Instead, they had all left him. He figured they were all off planet by now. He knew that was a good thing for the girls, but he felt a sense of betrayal, especially from his squad.

He was snapped out of his musings when an electro-whip was brought down on his back. He guessed it was time for phase two of the interrogation.

"You see, the average human can withstand shocks from this for about twenty-five strikes, and then the pain becomes too much," Malik explained as Malcolm hit Jax with the whip again. "Let's see how long you can withstand it."

* * *

Lylla watched the security recordings from her aunt's store. She had been confined to the ship with Rex and Cody. Jia had said it was because the brothers knew her face, but she could tell Jia was a little frustrated that she and Jax had screwed up the con.

She yawned and her eyes drooped as she watched the recording. This was about as boring as anything had been while she was with Jia. She started falling asleep, when something caught her eye.

Lylla jerked awake and sat up straight. She zoomed in on two men who entered the store donned in heavy coats when it wasn't cold outside. One of them turned to look out the front door and Lylla recognized him as the Rodian that had been captured at the hit man's prison.

"I got something," she called into the computer room.

"Little busy now," Rex answered.

"You're gonna want to see this," Lylla said with a sigh. There was a moment of silence and then Rex stuck his head out of the computer room.

"What?" he asked in an irritated voice.

"I found the Rodian and there's someone else with him," Lylla said.

"That's great, but we can't really do anything about it right now," Rex said, letting out a long breath. Lylla rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she snapped. "Go back to what you were doing."

"Keep it together, guys," Jia growled, overhearing the exchange. "I know temperaments are running high. This should only take about an hour. And if it doesn't, well, that won't matter because we'll all probably be dead." Lylla rolled her eyes again.

"Thanks, Jia, that's a comforting thought," she muttered. Jia just grinned at her.

"Fox, Waxer, Boil, with me," she ordered, leading them off the ship.

"Where are you going?" Lylla called after her.

"To go kill some people," Jia called back. Lylla let out a groan and closed her eyes, letting her head fall onto the table. She didn't notice the cloaked person that stood watching the ship.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Fox asked Jia quietly.

"Someone's keeping an eye on us. We're going to circle around and take them out," Jia said in a calm voice.

"Fun," Waxer commented quietly, already readying his gun. Jia smiled and nodded.

"I was thinking the same thing," she whispered. Her footsteps slowed and became lighter as they approached the landing platform. She automatically reached for her knife, but then paused and redirected her hands towards her gun.

She signaled the small group to stop and then to spread out. Moving slowly and silently, they closed in on the dark, cloaked figure. When they were about fifty feet away, Jia stopped them again. And then she gave the signal to shoot. In perfect synchronization, the three clones raised their guns and fired at the same time. Jia shot after them, hitting the person's shoulder.

The person went down with a cry of pain as four laser bolts hit them. Boil looked at Jia in shock.

"You missed," he said as if he couldn't believe it.

"I didn't miss, I just didn't shoot straight," Jia growled in annoyance, slowing approaching their victim. She had intended it to be a head shot, but at the last minute aimed for the shoulder, not having any particular reason for it. The clones, on the other hand, had all aimed for the chest

"Careful, Jia," Fox cautioned. Jia snorted.

"How do you think he could be alive?" she snapped, still angry with herself. Fox opened his mouth to snap back, but Waxer elbowed him and shook his head slightly. He knew better than to be sharp with Jia when she was angry.

Jia slowly crouched down next to the body and cautiously reached out hand to feel for a pulse. After a couple tense seconds, she nodded, confirming that the person was dead.

"Ready to find out who it is?" Boil asked. Jia glanced up at him, and the pulled off the hood. It fell away, revealing a young clone face. Jia leapt away from it and stumbled back into Waxer.

"It's I'ad," she gasped. Fox whistled.

"I was _not_ expecting that," Waxer said, his eyes wide with shock. Jia's mind was racing furiously as she tried to recount the last time she had seen the other "shiny." It had been more than a day ago. She spun in a circle, looking up at the busy skies of Coruscant.

"Anyone know where Vuur is?"

* * *

_Like I said, short, but whatever. Hope you guys enjoyed!_


	41. The Wire Pt 2

**The Wire**

**(Pt. 2)**

"I need a GPS fix on Vuur," Jia ordered, speed-walking back onto her ship.

"That's not possible," Waxer told her. "He disabled his comlink and took his armor off. He's virtually un-track-able."

"Yeah, virtual," Jia muttered. "Not reality."

"Jia, we can't track him," Fox said, over-articulating each syllable.

"_You_ can't, maybe," Jia snapped. "But _I_ can."

"This is not a good idea," Boil murmured.

"That's what I do. Have the stupid ideas," Jia said in a biting tone. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have a traitor to track and kill."

"Jia, stop," Rex said in a commanding voice, stepping in the doorway to block her. Jia stopped herself just barely in time to keep from bumping into him.

"What?" she snarled, glaring daggers at Rex. He had never seen her act so ferociously towards any of the clones and it startled him a bit.

"Just wait a little and plan this out," he tried to reason with her. Jia shoved past him.

"I don't usually plan, and I definitely never wait," she called over her shoulder. Rex sighed as he watched her disappear.

"She's gone, then?" Boil asked, joining Rex in the doorway.

"She'll be back," Rex said. "She always comes back."

"Mmm," Boil said in a questioning voice. "Not always."

"Most of the time," Rex corrected himself.

"Let's hope she decides to come back this time. We can't run the con without her," Waxer pointed out.

"She'll be back," Lylla repeated what Rex had said. "It just might take a while."

"Meanwhile, we have a con to try to run," Rex said with another sigh.

* * *

Barriss glanced at the growing pile of napkins beside Mylz. She had just barely enough to finish the con, she just needed Jia's guidance of when to pull the plug.

"Barriss, cough once if you can hear me," Jia ordered quietly. Barriss could tell the assassin was on high alert from how tight her voice was. She coughed once and then flashed a quick smile at Mylz.

"Looks like I might win," he said, winking at her.

"Put it in as all or nothing or whatever you guys call it," Jia said. "This is it. If you screw this up, we're all screwed."

_Very redundant,_ Barriss felt like pointing out about Jia's sentence, but she kept her mouth closed.

"I thought you were off comms," Cody commented. Barriss felt her skin prickle at the sound of his voice.

"Uhh, no. I'm tracking, not disappearing," Jia snapped.

"Cool it, guys," Lylla murmured. "We can bitch all we want at each other later."

"You're picking up on Jia's language," Rex commented. "That's not good."

"Shut up," Jia said. She started to say something else but then interrupted herself. "Barriss, place your bet or whatever now!" Barriss started slightly, but, luckily for her, Mylz didn't notice.

"I'm all in," she said, sliding the rest of her napkins towards Mylz.

"Me, too," he said, placing his napkins on top of hers. He handed her the cube and she pretended to weigh it in her hand for a moment before she threw it. With a little help from the Force, it landed on blue. There was a moment of silence before Mylz comprehended what had happened.

"I win," Barriss said smugly. Mylz was silent for a moment more before he jumped up and slammed his fists down onto the counter.

"You bitch!" he roared. Barriss didn't even blink.

"You have about twenty-five girls and my boyfriend to give me," she told him calmly. Mylz reached for his gun, but Barriss kicked it out of his hand and pulled the gun Jia had given her before he could even take aim. "I really would appreciate it if you paid up."

Mylz looked around frantically, searching for a way to escape. His brothers weren't around to help him out of this mess he had gotten himself into. Barriss saw his gaze land on the emergency alarm button. She leapt at the same time he did.

* * *

Jia kept Vuur in the corner of her vision as she followed him through the streets of Coruscant. He seemed calm and normal, so she guessed he was just out for a walk, not going to a covert meeting with someone. He turned into an alley, out of the crowds, and Jia ground her teeth. No crowds were always more difficult.

She paused for a moment and then scrambled up the side of a building, using the window sills to get herself to the top. She stayed low, leaping from roof to roof as she followed Vuur.

"The hell is he going?" she muttered to herself. As soon as the words left her mouth, Vuur's head snapped around to look towards her. She dropped to the roof so quickly she felt her side bruise. She waited for about thirty seconds and then cautiously raised her head. Vuur had continued walking down the alleyway. Jia got into a crouch, and half-running, half-leaping, continued to follow him.

After a while, he entered a bar. Jia quickly altered her look. She let her hair out of her braid and it fell in soft curls down onto her shoulders. She slipped in green contacts and added some make-up to her face. She pulled the neckline of her shirt and the waistline of her pants down just enough to be suggestive. And then she made her way into the bar.

Vuur was at the counter, sitting quietly and looking around. Jia sauntered up to the counter and slid into one of the stools. Vuur slowly ran his eyes up and down her body while she pretended to look at the menu, not recognizing her. Finally, he approached her.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked. Jia turned her now-green eyes on him.

"I doubt it," she said in a sultry voice. She licked her lips slightly. "I would remember if I had met you before." Vuur grinned at her. Jia shifted her position slightly so she could face Vuur and pull out her weapon at the same time. Her mistake was moving too quickly. Vuur picked up something was wrong and grabbed his own gun.

The other customers in the bar screamed and cowered down behind tables and counters. Vuur readied the gun and pointed it at Jia.

"Who are you?" he snarled. Jia sighed and slid off the stool. She shifted her weight onto her left leg and repositioned her clothing the way she normally wore it. Vuur showed no sign of recognition.

"Really, I'm surprised you didn't know who I was the moment you saw me," Jia spoke in her normal voice while she pulled her hair back into the braid. "I would think a traitor such as yourself would know to be more careful than to approach random women." Now she slipped the contacts out. "Especially ones like me." She looked back up at Vuur, her blue eyes narrowed deviously.

"Jia?" Vuur asked. His hand trembled slightly.

"Didn't think I would figure out your little secret, did you?" Jia asked. "Didn't think I would be aware of what you and I'ad were doing."

"You have no idea what we were doing," Vuur hissed. Jia raised an eyebrow along with her voice.

"Did you think you could get away with aiding the Separatists? While on _my_ ship as part of _my_ team?" she asked. "And what was it for anyways? How much was Count Dooku offering? And what was he offering?"

Vuur's eyes widened when she said Count Dooku's name, confirming what Jia had guessed. She hadn't known for a fact it was he who had turned Vuur and I'ad traitor, but she had guessed.

"How did you know?" Vuur asked. Jia tipped her head to the side, pretending to think.

"Ummm, let's see. I am someone who is trained in the arts of hacking, tracking, getting the answers I want, and then killing," she said. Her words gave Vuur the desired impression.

"I'ad told you?" he whispered. Jia nodded.

"He told me almost everything. But then I got tired of asking, so I killed him. And you're next on my list, bubba." She pulled her gun from the small of her back and raised it, aiming straight for Vuur's forehead.

"I'll kill you if you try anything," Vuur tried to threaten, but his voice broke. Jia could tell she had him downright terrified. And the realization brought her satisfaction.

"I'll die, but before I do, you'll go down, too," she told him in a soft, almost soothing voice. "I always take down my target no matter what. It's part of my training." Vuur looked around nervously for a split second and that was all Jia needed. She kicked the gun out of his hand and then kicked him squarely in the chest. He stumbled backwards into a table, causing the people hiding under it to scream and scurry to another table.

Vuur slowly stood back up, only to find Jia's knife an inch and a half from his forehead.

"I would use my gun," she told him in a soft voice, "but that would be so painless and easy. You would feel nothing." She pricked Vuur's forehead with the tip of her knife and drew it down the side of his face. Vuur's eyes widened in terror and Jia had to fight a smile. She knew she sounded like a crazy psychopath, but she never did have much tolerance for deserters or traitors. Especially ones who thought they could outsmart her.

* * *

Tenger, Fives, and Wooley heard the fight over the comms and leapt out of their hiding spaces. Fives took charge, taking point as the three clones automatically fell into an attack formation.

"It's gone bad, we might need some back-up," he reported quietly to anyone who would respond.

"Waxer, Boil, and I are on our way," Fox answered. "Our ETA is three minutes."

"You might need to be quicker," Fives muttered under his breath.

"We'll try," Fox said. And then there was feedback followed by static.

"That's an earbud being destroyed," Lylla gasped. "They know Barriss was contacting somebody."

"Kriff," Cody snapped. "I'm coming."

"No, stay," Lylla cried. For whatever reason, she suddenly felt compelled to take charge of the team that was quickly falling apart. "Jia stuck you on splicing for a reason. You better stick with what she told you to do."

Cody let out a growl but did what Lylla said. Fives breathed a sigh of relief, glad that someone at least had a fraction of an idea of what to do to keep the con running.

The three clones stopped at the entrance of the club, and then on Fives's command, kicked the door down. Barriss and Mylz were nowhere to be found, but there was evidence of a fight. Broken glass and furniture littered the floor, and Barriss's lightsaber had obviously been tossed carelessly to the side.

Fives crouched down and picked the weapon up, weighing it in his hands. He stood up and turned to face Tenger and Wooley.

"Jedi Offee is missing," he said. "Spread out and search for her. If you are engaged, fight to kill."

"Copy that, ARCie," Tenger said, smirking at Fives. Fives longed to knock some sense into the disrespectful clone, but Jia had forbade the clones from hitting one another, knowing it was a past time they enjoyed very much. She had specifically told them that she was the only one allowed to hit, kick, smack, trip, prank, etc. unless they were practicing.

"Just go," Fives snarled, not in the mood to deal with Tenger. The younger clone chuckled and then started slowly creeping down one of the hallways.

Fives had to admit that even though he didn't particularly enjoy the clones on Shadow Squad, they were some of the best he had seen. _Of course they are,_ he thought to himself as he made his way to the room where the girls were kept, _they had some of the best training on Kamino and on top of that were trained by Jia._ He pushed open the door, but stood to the side of the doorway, ready for the worst. When nothing happened, he slowly moved into the doorway and pushed the door open a little farther.

The twenty-five or so other girls that Barriss had been gambling for stood clustered at the far end of the room, watching Fives with wide, fearful eyes. A quiet buzzing sound was heard and Fives thought it sounded familiar. It was the sound a ray shield emitted when it was activated. _A ray shield or a-,_ he turned off the lights and the room was lit up with the blue-green glow of lasers, -_lasers._

He sighed. Rescuing the girls was turning out to be a lot harder than he had anticipated.

"Basic?" he asked, hoping at least one of the girls did. Of all the girls they had rescued so far, only a few of them spoke basic. All the girls shook their heads and Fives sighed. He never had done very good in the language part of their training. Echo, on the other hand, had excelled, being able to pick up new languages very quickly. Fives felt a hole open up in his chest as he thought of his lost brother. _Oh, Echo, if only you were here now._ He snapped himself back to the present, knowing pining over his brother wasn't going to help him free the girls.

"Okay, ummm, are the lasers rigged?" he asked, hoping maybe some had learned just a little Basic. The girls all looked at each other cluelessly. Fives tried again. He pointed at the lasers and then asked, "Boom?" while mocking an explosion with his hands. More confused looks were passed and then one of the girls nodded excitedly as she understood what Fives was asking.

"Boom," she repeated back to him. "Boom." Fives groaned. He knew the basics on defusing a bomb, but probably not enough to rescue the girls.

"How many?" he asked slowly. The girls just stared at him hopefully. Fives licked his lips as he thought of another way to communicate his message. "Can you sign?" he asked verbally, also while asking the questions with his hands. A few of the girls smiled and nodded and carefully made their way to the front of the group. Fives felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. They were getting somewhere.

"How many?" he signed. The girls turned around and counted for a moment.

"Twenty-seven," the littlest one signed back. Fives studied her for a moment; she seemed no older than eight or nine standard years. He nodded and slowly approached the girls, carefully watching his surroundings to make sure he didn't activate something by accident.

Near the little girl there was a fairly good sized gap between the lasers. He knew it was risky but he didn't think he had another choice.

"One-by-one, carefully," he signed, and then pointed at the gap. He pointed at the little girl and then signed, "First." She looked at him with wide, startled eyes, but then took a deep breath and made her way through the girls until she reached the gap.

She looked at Fives with big, trusting eyes, and then slowly started weaving through the lasers. Fives was surprised by how acrobatic she seemed to be. He knew Jia would've been impressed. The last laser was too high for the girl to get over, but below it was blocked by even more lasers. Fives walked over to it and carefully reached his arms down over it.

The little girl seemed to understand. She grasped Fives's arms right above the elbows and then jumped. He swung her up over the laser and into the safety zone where he was. The little girl was trembling from adrenaline and exhaustion, but she looked at Fives gratefully before making her way over to the sleeping pallet on the floor and collapsing onto it.

The next girl was a little bigger than the first one and moved slower, reminding Fives how little time they had and making him edgy. She, too, needed help over the last laser. Slowly, one-by-one, the girls wove their way through the laser, guided by Fives. They were all almost out when Malik appeared in the doorway, done with his interrogation of Jax for the moment.

"Hey," he bellowed, causing Fives to jump and then turn around and fire on him. Malik pulled out his gun and fired back.

"Find cover," Fives yelled automatically, forgetting the girls couldn't understand him. But they seemed to figure it out because they all pressed themselves against the wall, out of range of Malik. Fives took a moment to make sure all the girls were safe for the time being and then he charged at Malik.

* * *

Jia hit the bar counter painfully hard, and ducked just in time as Vuur kicked at her. She paused for a few seconds, waiting for the pain to recede and to catch her breath, while Vuur did the same. He knew there was probably no way he could win against Jia, but he had to try.

"Just surrender already and I'll make your death quick," Jia called to him, feeling the need to get back to her ship.

"How 'bout you surrender and I'll make your death quick," Vuur shot back. Jia sighed. She should have known he wouldn't just give in.

"Fine, have it your way," she said. She pulled her back-up gun from her boot, since the gun she normally used had been thrown out one of the windows some time during the fight. She loaded and readied it, and then stood up, firing at Vuur. He ducked behind a table as the bottles on top of it exploded from Jia's shots.

"Damn you," Vuur yelled at her.

"Your own fault," Jia muttered, using the counter as cover as Vuur's return fire rained down on her. Suddenly, the shot stopped and Jia heard footsteps crunching over the broken glass as Vuur approached her. _Idiot, _she mentally scoffed. _I'm not dead. But you soon will be._

* * *

"I'm going to help Jia," Havet decided. He had never liked the shiny anyway.

"Then I go, too," Ouro said.

"Fine, but no one else," Viz ordered. He had slipped into the role of second-in-command on the squad's first mission when Jax had been knocked unconscious by a toxic gas and the position had been his since.

"Hurry back," Bleu teased. She truly liked the clones, especially how they treated her with respect and dignity, not like the men she was used to dealing with.

"We'll try, miss," Ouro said, giving her a quick grin before following Havet out.

"Where is Jia?" Havet asked.

"About three blocks away, to our northeast," Ouro answered. Havet jumped in their speeder and started it, Ouro climbing in after him.

"Why is it always Jia who has to do the stupid things?" Havet sighed. Ouro laughed a little.

"Because she likes testing us to see how good our training was," he answered his brother.

"Jax is never this careless. Or stupid," Havet muttered.

"That's because Jax breaks the rules in a different way," Ouro said. "He does it subtly, carefully. Jia just doesn't give a damn whether she's caught or not."

"And it always ends up getting her in trouble," Havet sighed. Ouro nodded in agreement. As they pulled up the bar, they could hear the sound of a gun fight happening inside. They jumped out of the speeder, not even bothering to turn it off, and ran to join Jia.

* * *

Jia held the gun to Vuur's forehead, breathing heavily. She had some injuries but other than that she had come out fine.

"So tell me, Vuur," she said. "What was it? What did the Count promise you? Money? Freedom? Power? Women?"

"How about all of the above," Vuur snarled. He held his gun tightly in his hand, ready for the chance to fire it at Jia. She never moved her eyes from his face, though. His hand twitched and she readied her gun.

"Don't try it," she said in a warning voice.

"You don't understand," Vuur snapped. "I did this for my brothers. The Republic treats us like animals; slaves. Count Dooku told me that if I was able to transfer control of the clones to him, he would treat us better."

"Count Dooku is a skilled liar and manipulator," Jia said. "You betrayed your people, your Republic, Vuur."

"No, not my Republic. The Senate's and Jedi's Republic," Vuur snarled. Jia realized she had said the wrong thing. She had to press the button that would hurt him the most for him to realize the damage he had done before she killed him.

"You betrayed your _brothers_," she rephrased her sentence. "You have hurt them, by giving information to Count Dooku, you have now caused countless deaths. And the only ones who will suffer are the people you were trying to save." She saw Vuur's face contract into a look of pain as he realized the damage he had done.

"Then I need to fix it," he said, raising his gun. Jia was faster. She shot him squarely in the head at the same time Havet and Ouro ran into the bar.

"He never had a chance; why did he even try?" Ouro asked, looking down at the body of the dead shiny. Jia sighed sadly and crouched down to close the clone's eyes. She didn't answer until she stood back up.

"A traitor to the Republic, a failed assignment from the Separatists," she said. "He tried because it was better than anything he had coming for him."

* * *

Jia, Havet, and Ouro met up with Fox, Waxer, and Boil just as they arrived at the club.

"Come on, everybody, move it," Jia ordered. "We have a missing clone and a missing Jedi to save. Not to mention the twenty some dancers."

The five clones were met by Wooley, who was guarding the enterance. They broke off into pairs to search the building and Jia made her way to the room where she knew the girls were. The corpse of the brother she recognized as Malik was in the middle of the room. Behind him were about five or six girls who were trapped behind lasers. As Jia walked into the room, she was met by a blaster to her head.

"Easy, Fives, I'm a friend," she said, raising her hands submissively, not sure if the clone was caught up in a flashback or not. The gun was immediately moved from her head and Fives nodded his greeting to her.

"Do they speak Basic?" Jia asked. Fives shook his head.

"I've gotten almost all of them out of the laser box they were in, but those five are still left," he reported to Jia.

"How'd you get them out?" Jia asked curiously.

"There's a gap in the lasers," Fives told her. Jia stared at the lasers for a moment before she spotted the gap Fives was talking about.

"Okay, so, why are they still in there?" she asked, nodding at the girls still trapped by the lasers.

"They refuse to move, scared another brother is gonna come in and punish them," Fives said with a sigh. Jia nodded in understanding. She slowly approached the girls with her arms in the air, showing she wasn't a threat. When they nodded a little, she twisted and turned through the lasers until she got to the girls.

"Basic?" she asked. They shook their heads. She made a face, and then mimicked a language she had heard Shirya speak once or twice. The bounty hunter had taught Jia the basics of speaking the language, even though Jia had absolutely no idea what language it was. "Can you understand me?" she asked the girls in the other language. The girls looked shocked, but then they nodded. Jia breathed a sigh of relief.

"The brothers aren't coming back. We've killed them," she lied, but she knew it was the only way to get the girls out of the lasers. The girls watched Jia with wide eyes, but then one of them nodded and slowly made her way out of the lasers to where Fives was waiting with the other girls. The other four followed suit, and Jia and Fives both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Jia, come in," Wooley buzzed in over the earbud.

"I'm here," Jia said. "With Fives. And the other girls."

"Okay, good," Wooley said. "Havet and I have Jedi Offee. Mylz is dead. Boil and Waxer reported having Jax but Malcolm or Malik weren't found."

"I killed Malik," Fives reported. "Which only leaves Malcolm unaccounted for."

"We should send out a search to find him," Tenger suggested. Jia shook her head.

"Screw that," she said. "Let's just get the hell out of here. I'm done with this place."

"What about Malcolm?" Waxer asked.

"He's here," Jia said. "And I know exactly how to get rid of him. I'll tell ya'll in a minute. Just get out the front entrance now."

"Roger that," Fox buzzed in.

"We copy," Boil said, speaking for him, Waxer, Wooley, and Havet.

"On our way," Tenger told Jia. Jia looked at Fives and then turned to the girls. She didn't feel like speaking the foreign language again so she used just one word while pointing at the door, "Out!"

They stared at her for a moment and then took off running towards the front entrance.

"Effective," Fives commented, following the girls. Jia grinned.

"Always is," she panted, keeping pace with him. They were the last ones out, everyone gather one the other side of the street.

"How do we kill Malcolm without knowing where he is?" Fives asked.

"Blow this place up," Jia ordered darkly. "Every last bit of it. I want it gone."

"Copy," Havet said, all too happy to comply. He grabbed a backpack full of bombs out of the speeder Jia, Ouro, and Havet had come in, but before he could do anything else, Malcolm appeared in the doorway.

"Thieves," he cried. "Give me back my girls!"

"Malcolm, get back inside," Jia yelled.

"Not 'till I get at least one girl," Malcolm yelled back.

"Take me, then," Jia said, stepping towards him, but then she saw a flash of blue hair and green eyes as the little girl that Fives had rescued first from the lasers took off running into the building, but not before flashing a reassuring smile at Fives. Malcolm took off after her.

"Dammit," Jia snarled, going after them both. She was almost at the entrance when the club exploded, the shockwave throwing her backwards into the air. She landed hard on the street, her vision blurring as her head hit the pavement. Her ears rang from the explosion and everything sounded echoey. She heard Fives giving orders to get everyone out of the area. She felt Ouro bend down and pick her up. She smelled the smoldering remains of the building. And as they flew away in the speeder, she saw the body of the little girl, burned and broken.

* * *

Jax checked to make sure everyone else was asleep before he put the ship on autopilot and went to join Jia in the workout room. She had been very stoic since the explosion of the club and refused to talk to anyone, not even to tell him how annoying he was.

She was sitting on the edge of the pool, letting her legs dangle down into the water, staring at the surface of it. The dimmed neon lights reflected off the water, giving her face an unearthly glow. Jax silently sat down next to her, waiting to see if she would say anything. When she didn't, he spoke up.

"The little girl knew what she was doing," he said.

"We didn't even know her name," Jia murmured.

"She did it for Fives," Jax said. "I might have been half-unconscious but I saw the smile she gave him before she went into the building."

"It should've been me," Jia whispered.

"Then we would have no one to run the team. Besides, we're supposed to be looking for a Jedi, remember, not playing hero to every person that's been wronged," Jax snapped. Jia looked up at him, startled for a moment, and then smiled.

"So we're back in the game, then?" she asked Jax.

"We are back in the game," he confirmed. Jia's eyes hardened and her voice dropped to a dangerous tone.

"Not only are we in this game, but we run this game," she said.

* * *

Back on Coruscant, making headlines on the news, was a club that had used underage girls as slaves and dancers. How there had been suspicious activity at that club for the past week or so. How the club had been burned in an explosion. And how, left in the ashes, was the message: _I'm back, so you better keep looking over your shoulder. Love, Angel._

* * *

_I know this took forever and ever and ever to get out, and I apologize. The good news is that the next chapter will be posted either tomorrow or Christmas Day, and is geared specially towards Christmas since that is the holiday I celebrate at this time of year. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews I get. They encourage me to continue writing. I am aware some of the earlier chapters have been messed up and am working to fix them._

_Please keep the victims of the Sandy Hook School in your thoughts and pray for the families. None of those people deserved to die the way they did._

_On a brighter note, I hope everyone has a happy, happy, happy, happy holidays!_


	42. Big Girls Don't Cry

**Big Girls Don't Cry**

Jia sat in a café on Alderaan, sketching in her notebook. She had given everyone three days of break after the traumatic ending to their first job. She knew that Lylla, at least, and probably most everyone needed it. The rest of the girls, including Bleu and Anela had been found homes back on Coruscant and were now living the type of life they deserved.

Jia was snapped out of her thoughts but the sound of a scraping chair.

"Mind if I sit here?" someone asked. She looked up and saw a boy, sixteen maybe seventeen, looking at her hopefully.

"Sure," she said. She shifted some of the items on the tiny table, making room for the boy and his caf and some sort of bread treat.

"I'm Derek, by the way," the boy said. Jia looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"Sasha," she introduced herself, before she realized her mistake.

"Sasha is an uncommon name," Derek commented. Jia winced.

"My name is actually Jiana Sasha, but I can go by either Jia or Sasha," she tried to correct her mistake.

"Sasha works fine," Derek soothed her. Jia gave him another smile and went back to drawing.

"So, what's in the book?" Derek asked.

"Just memories," Jia said, not looking up from her sketch.

"Of what?" Derek was intrigued by the strange girl sitting in front of him.

"A happier time," Jia murmured. She looked up at Derek and saw he was watching her with raised eyebrows. "It's of this holiday I used to celebrate with my family. I don't celebrate it anymore, but it was always so much fun."

"What's the holiday?" Derek asked.

"It's called Christmas," Jia said. And then she launched into an explanation of the holiday and its history and what her family did, feeling as if she could truly trust Derek. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe and happy. Like she would feel if she were with her family.

* * *

Jia sat on top of her ship, staring up at the night sky. Jax stood watching her for a while before he finally approached her. She didn't show any indication of his presence when he sat down next to her.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked when she didn't say anything.

"It's nothing," Jia said. But her voice caught in her throat, giving away that she had been crying, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"It's something," Jax argued. Jia just shook her head and sniffed. And then she broke.

"Back on my home planet, we had this holiday called Christmas. We would celebrate joy and love and family and each other and it was so amazing every year. My little brother was born on Christmas Eve. And he was killed seven years later on Christmas Day. In a few days is his birthday. He would be ten years old. Double digits. That was always a big deal in my family. We would have had a big party and all our family would come and it would be so great and amazing."

She turned to Jax, looking at him with tear-filled eyes.

"It's my fault he's dead, you know. It's my actions that led to his death. If I had just been smarter about things, or more careful, maybe he wouldn't be dead."

"But he is, and there's nothing you can do about it," Jax tried to soothe.

"You think I don't know that?" Jia shouted. And then she bowed her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just miss him so much."

Jax didn't say anything, just pulled Jia into a hug. He knew very little about who she truly was, but he knew her well enough to know that everything she did to make her the person she was currently, was for her little brother. And he respected her for it, even if he didn't understand why she had done it.

* * *

"Sasha," Derek saw the blonde-haired girl jogging through the park and waved her over. Jia's head shot up when she heard her nickname from Earth and then her gaze landed on Derek. Even though using her old nickname was bringing up bittersweet memories, hearing Derek's voice made her smile. She jogged over to where he was sitting underneath a tree and plopped down next to him.

"Hey, Derek," she said, giving him a quick hug. When he returned her hug, she felt her heartbeat speed up slightly.

"So, I know we just, like, met a few days ago and all, but I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner tomorrow," Derek invited. Jia knew she should decline the offer, but she didn't. Instead she smiled and nodded. They were supposed to be leaving that night, but she just decided to extend the break.

"I would like that," she murmured thoughtfully.

"I would, too," Derek said. Jia's smile turned shy and she rested her head on Derek's shoulder. She didn't know what was going on with her, but she wasn't complaining. She liked the way Derek made her feel, and the way the old, familiar feeling of family would come over her.

Jia stretched out on the grass next to Derek and stared up at the sky, while Derek watched her from the corner of his eye.

"So, when's that Christmas holiday you were talking about?" he asked her.

"Tomorrow," Jia answered drowsily, starting to fall asleep. "Well, tomorrow is Christmas Eve. The night before Christmas. It was always my favorite night of the year. It just always seemed so magical."

As Jia spoke, she thought of the Christmas Eve Gavin was born, and had to force down a lump in her throat. She opened her eyes and saw Derek watching her with a very calm expression on his face. There was nothing judgmental or harsh in his features at all, he just seemed to be waiting for her to continue talking. Jia felt herself heat up under his steady gaze, something that had not happened since her schoolgirl crushes in middle school. And then she suddenly understood what was happening.

"Excuse me, I have to go," she said suddenly, jumping up.

"Okay," Derek said, not asking for an explanation of her sudden declaration. "Meet me in the café at around seven tomorrow evening."

"Got it," Jia nodded. She hesitated for a moment, and then turned around and gave Derek a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, and dress nice," Derek told her.

"How nice?" Jia asked. Derek thought for a moment.

"Pretend you're a princess," he said, causing Jia to smile. "Dress that nicely." Jia nodded.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. And I will be dressed like a princess," she mocked him playfully. Derek chuckled and watched her thoughtfully as she disappeared into the crowds of the park. He knew there was something else to her; some deep, dark secret she would never share with him. And that's what drew him to her. How mysterious and strange she was, compared to the other girls he had met.

They had all seemed the same. Fun and quirky, but shallow and too innocent. There had never been any depth to them. They didn't have any layers. There was only the light, fluffy outside. The girl that had introduced herself as Sasha had something else, though; he could tell. She was fun and quirky, too, but there was a dark, lethal edge in her eyes.

He knew she was very calculating from the way her eyes would flick side to side while she spoke, searching for something. He could see she had been hurt many times from the way her smiles were small and hesitant. The way she was always listening for _something_ told him she was very aware of everything happening around her, almost too aware. And the way she moved, silently and smoothly, but ready to attack at the smallest sign.

Derek sighed and lay back on the grass. His dad certainly wasn't going to be pleased that he had become attached to someone so secretive. People with secrets were dangerous, especially to his family business.

* * *

Barriss and Lylla watched Jia disappear into the workout room. Moments later, a splash told them she was in the pool. Lylla nodded towards the room and Barriss nodded her agreement. Silently, they got up and went to check on Jia.

"Jia?" Lylla asked softly, knocking on the wall so they wouldn't startle her.

"Hmm?" Jia answered. She was floating on her back with her eyes closed.

"What's wrong?" Lylla asked, sitting down on the edge of the pool with her legs curled under her.

"Nothing," Jia said with a sigh.

"I thought the rule was no secrets from each other," Barriss reminded her, sitting down in lotus position. Jia sighed again.

"Just some memories," she said quietly.

"Of Earth?" Lylla inquired. Jia nodded slightly.

"What are they about?" Barriss asked.

"Just something that happened around this time of year back home. And about my family," Jia told the two older girls.

"There's something else," Barriss pressed. Jia opened one eye and glowered up at the Healer.

"You just don't give up, do you?" she asked in an exasperated voice. Barriss just smirked and Jia let out a third sigh. "Yes, there's something else."

"What is it?" Lylla asked, now getting a little fed up with Jia. When Jia hesitated, both girls knew it was something serious.

"I've met someone," Jia said finally. She rolled over and stood up in the water with much splashing, much to the chagrin of Lylla, who was closer to the pool than Barriss.

"Oh, that's great!" Barriss exclaimed.

"About time, too," Lylla muttered playfully. Jia tossed a handful of water at her.

"And he's asked me to dinner tomorrow night," Jia continued.

"Which means we get to stay here longer?" Lylla asked hopefully. Jia nodded and she clapped excitedly.

"So, the details!" Barriss demanded, glad for once she could just act like a normal teenage girl and not a proper, Jedi Padawan. Jia rolled her eyes.

"Well, his name is Derek and he lives on this part of Alderaan. He is very sweet and friendly," Jia told her friends. "And there's something else."

"Assassin radar. Ding, ding, ding!" Lylla teased Jia. Jia threw another handful of water at her.

"He's just very perceptive for a normal civilian," she explained, turning her head slightly as Lylla threw water back at her.

"You think he might not be _just_ a civilian," Barriss picked up on her train of thought. Jia nodded.

"There's something else," she said.

"So, you don't trust him?" Lylla asked.

"No, I trust him," Jia said. "I almost trust him with my life. Which is what scares me so much."

* * *

Jia stood in front of the floor-length mirror, staring at her reflection in awe. It had been months, maybe a year or two, since she had dressed nicely just for a date. Usually it was to kill someone.

The dress Lylla and Barriss had put her in was floor-length, flowing, black, and slightly sparkling with swirls of silvery/grey. It seemed to have an almost mystique quality about it. Like it had been spun out of a magic thread or made out of magic itself.

The dress had a halter top and exposed Jia's entire back, showing off her muscles nicely. Two thin wooden rings were connected to the hem of the skirt and clasped around Jia's wrists so when she raised her arms it looked like she had two beautiful, black wings.

Lylla had done her hair up in some sort of loose bun with small braids here and there. Wisps of hair framed Jia's face, giving her a child-like edge. Lylla had also improvised a clip out of a bobby pin, super glue, and a black jewel Jia had acquired on one of her trips before she "joined" the Republic.

Barriss had created some sort of temporary tattoo that she had stuck on Jia's right bicep. The ink was completely black and the design was just a mixture of swirls and flowers that looped up and around Jia's arm. Very little, but very detailed make-up and black wedges completely the outfit.

Jia twirled once, enjoying the way the dress billowed out around her like a black cloud. She stopped and looked back in the mirror.

"I look…," she started, but trailed off, not sure how to describe her beautiful, but dark, outfit.

"You look like a dark angel," Lylla said. "Which is exactly what you are."

Jia didn't answer. She was too busy noticing the fact that Barriss had somehow managed to make her skin shimmer and sparkle. She knew Lylla was right, though. The outfit captured her personality perfectly. _Innocently lethal, beautifully deadly,_ she thought to herself. It was the words Red had once used to describe her. Her favorite combination of words he had used had been "_perfectly innocent Angel of Death."_

And that's exactly what she was.

"I feel naked," she said suddenly.

"How?" Lylla sounded flabbergasted.

"I need at least one weapon on me; preferably more," Jia explained. As she spoke, she pulled back the heel of her wedge and slipped her knife into it. She was glad the skirt of her dress was loose enough to conceal the holster she had strapped to her right thigh.

"Please try _not_ to kill anybody tonight," Lylla sighed. "This is supposed to be a fun night. For _everybody_."

"Yes, mom," Jia teased, rolling her eyes.

"I'm serious!" Lylla cried. Jia laughed.

"I am, too," she said. Lylla just shook her head slightly.

"Okay, now go! You have a date to get to," she ushered Jia out of the ship.

"I'll try to be back before midnight and I won't get pregnant," Jia called as she got in the speeder she had rented for the night.

"Yeah, okay," Lylla called back. Jia laughed and waved good-bye and then was off. "Good luck," Lylla said quietly as she watched Jia disappear. She wondered if the bittersweet feeling suddenly coming over her was what it felt like to let a child go and watch them finish growing up.

* * *

Derek saw a black speeder pull up to the café and knew it was Jia. He started to go meet her, but stopped in shock when he saw what she looked like. She was completely transformed from the broken girl in the café or the playful girl at the park. She was dark, strong, and beautiful, with just a hint of purity.

He watched as she got out of the speeder, admiring the way her muscles rippled under her skin, adding to her already-magical quality. She looked around for a moment before she spotted him. When she did, she smiled and made her way over to him.

"You look nice," she complemented. Derek blinked, trying to get ahold of himself.

"You too," he managed to say. Jia laughed and kissed his cheek.

"Come on, where are we going where I needed to get all dressed up?" she asked.

"Just follow me," Derek instructed. When she turned to walk beside him, he saw the tattoo that spiraled up her arm. He wondered if it signified that she was part of a gang or smugglers. Jia noticed where he was staring.

"Don't worry, it doesn't mean anything," she soothed, knowing what he was thinking. Derek just smiled and gently laced his fingers through hers. He led her over to the fancy speeder ready to take them to the location of their date.

"Ladies first," he said, opening the door and stepping aside to allow Jia to climb in before him. She smiled and gracefully stepped up into the speeder. Derek climbed in after her and shut the door.

"You know where to go, Luis," he said to the driver. The driver nodded and took off into the sky. Jia was silent the entire ride, automatically memorizing the route they were taking and counting the mileage. It took her a moment to notice when they arrived at their destination. Derek got out first and turned around to help her down out of the speeder.

He paid Luis and then looped his arm through Jia's and led her towards the building. Jia gasped when she saw it. It was a castle located on the cliff of a beautiful mountain, offering a magnificent view.

"What have you brought me to?" she asked Derek, turning wide blue eyes on him. He chuckled and tucked some loose hair behind her ear.

"My father is invited to this party every year and I thought you might like to come with me," he said. Jia just continued staring at him and he laughed again. But while she was staring at him in shock, he was busy staring at her in awe. The dark outfit and make-up accentuated her features and brought out her bright blue eyes. And then Jia's eyes flicked to look at something just behind him and he suddenly realized that he had one of the most deadly girls in the galaxy standing in front of him.

"What are you looking at?" he asked her quietly. Jia's eyebrows raised slightly in disbelief.

"An old friend," she answered in a sarcastic voice. She once again looped arms with Derek and then approached a man, nineteen, maybe twenty, that was standing twenty feet away from them. When he saw Jia he paused in his conversation with a woman in a bright blue dress.

"Excuse me for a moment," he said to her. She nodded and pranced off to find another man. "Jia," he nodded his greeting. Jia licked her lips and looked around for a moment, thoroughly annoyed.

"Boba Fett," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Enjoying this lovely party hosted by the Senator of Alderaan," Boba said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Sure you are," Jia snorted in disbelief. Boba's gaze moved briefly to Derek.

"May I borrow her for a second?" he asked.

"Of course," Derek said. Jia stretched up to give him another kiss on the cheek.

"I'll be back, don't go anywhere," she whispered in his ear. Derek just smiled at her.

"Good friend?" Boba asked as he meandered away from Derek with Jia.

"Good enough," Jia said in a reserved voice. Boba nodded and studied Jia from the corner of his eye. Of the three months she had been his captive, he had never once seen her look so beautiful. Or deadly.

"So, what are you doing here?" he asked. "Business trip?"

"Actually, it's just a pleasure trip," Jia answered.

"Hmm," Boba said in a non-believing voice. He grabbed two drinks off a tray from a waiter that was walking by and handed one to Jia.

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip.

"So, what are you doing at this party?" Boba asked, wanting a specific answer this time.

"Enjoying a night with a nice boy who asked me on a date," Jia said, taking another sip and turning her head to look at Boba. He was momentarily distracted from his interrogation of her by the way the dim evening light played off her shimmering skin.

"You don't seem like the type of girl who just enjoys a night," Boba commented.

"You don't seem like the type of boy who just enjoys a lovely party," Jia countered. Boba chuckled and took a sip of his drink.

"Business trip," he said.

"Ahh," Jia said, not needing any more of an explanation. "So what's the target?"

"The correct question would be who's the target," Boba corrected. "And the answer is the sister of the girl I was talking to."

"Oh, what's she worth?" Jia asked curiously.

"Enough," Boba said. Jia smiled and took a sip of her drink. Those were the annoying cryptic answers she was used to.

"So, did you find the money?" she asked after a moment.

"Actually, I did. Very clever, your little hiding spot," Boba complemented. Jia gave a little bow.

"Well, thank you," she said playfully. It was the first time she had ever felt a sense of alliance, maybe even comradery, with Boba. Boba chuckled again and took another sip.

"Well, you better get back to your date. I'm sure he can't wait to get his hands on you," he said. Jia smacked him on the back of the bed and then turned to walk away.

"Hey, Blondie," Boba called after her. She paused to show she was listening. "Call whenever you want a job."

"Thanks, but I'm good," Jia said, turning around so she could smirk at Boba.

"Suit yourself," he said with a shrug. "But I have an idea of where your missing Jedi is."

* * *

"No," Barriss said. "I'm not just going to come to a random party because one of your bounty hunter friends claims to know where Ahsoka is."

"Please," Jia said, her voice distorted by the comm. "This is the first big lead we've had in forever."

"Okay, fine," Barriss said with a sigh after a pause of many minutes.

"Thanks," Jia said. She cut the connection and returned to Derek.

"Good talk?" he asked her.

"Actually, he annoys the living crap out of me," Jia said. Derek chuckled and led her into the foyer of the castle. He led her over to a man who was talking with a group of grizzled looking men in dark suits. Derek waited until there as a pause in the conversation before he approached the man.

"Dad," he greeted the man. _Yikes, Dad,_ Jia thought.

"Men, I would like you to meet my son Derek. He will be taking over the business for me when I retire soon," the man said. Derek shook hands with all the men.

"Dad, I would like you to meet Sasha, my date," he introduced his dad to Jia. She held out her hand to shake his, but instead he gently grasped her hand and kissed the back of it.

"I didn't know the girl my son was bringing to this party would look so beautiful," he said. Jia smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said politely.

"The pleasure is all mine," Derek's dad said. "And please, call me Mr. Tyler."

"Dad," Derek groaned in embarrassment. Jia fought down a laugh.

"Well, you kids go have fun," Mr. Tyler said.

"It was nice meeting you," Jia said to him.

"Likewise," Mr. Tyler said, giving her a small bow. Derek started to pull her away before she could say anything, but froze when his dad placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't see that tattoo, gorgeous," he said, a sudden dangerous tone in his voice.

"Oh, do you like it?" Jia asked, matching his tone.

"Yes, it is lovely. Very fitting," Mr. Tyler complemented, suddenly backing down and returning his voice to normal. Jia could tell he wasn't used to dealing with people who didn't get scared of him easily.

"Thank you," she said. She gave him a small smile and then walked away with Derek. He led her up through the castle to the ballroom.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked her.

"Of course," she answered. It had been ages since she had danced with a partner. Derek laced his fingers through hers and placed his other hand on her hip, pulling her closer to him. Jia grasped his hand tightly and then draped her other arm over his shoulders, much like she would if they were doing the Tango.

Out of the corner of her eye, as Derek started to spin her, she saw Barriss enter the ballroom with Boba at her side. And she saw the figure that entered after them, looking awfully familiar. Jia sifted through all the different people she had ever seen and where until she placed the man. It was the person who had kidnapped Ahsoka.

She pulled away from Derek, ignoring his cry of surprise and protest just as the man pulled out a dart gun.

"Shooter, get down," Jia yelled as loud as she could. Without any reason, she knew the man was aiming at Barriss. The dancers let out shrieks and cowered down on the floor, giving Jia a clear shot at the man. She leapt in front of Barriss, using herself as a shield and pulled her gun from under her dress. Two seconds later the man toppled over dead. And then Jia felt the pinch on the side of her neck.

She stumbled over to the wall, the poison already taking affect. Her vision tunneled and her hearing turned echoey and spotty, much like it had after the explosion of the club. Her sense of smell disappeared completely and her body went numb.

She managed to get her arm to function enough to pull the dart out of her neck and slip it into the heel of her wedge, but then her legs gave out.

"Only you, Blondie," a voice said with a sigh. Even though her hearing was going, Jia could tell the person was disappointed. "And in the middle of a party. Couldn't you have at least waited until the party was over?"

Jia's mind was sluggish due to the poison so it took her a moment to place the voice. Only one person called her "Blondie."

"Boba?" she coughed out, and then she vomited up several mouthfuls as her body tried to get rid of the poison.

"I'm surprised you can even think with that much poison in you," Boba said in surprise. He caught Jia just before she fell into the puddle of vomit. "Come on, just pass out already," he said with a sigh.

"The amount injected into her is enough to kill a baby Krayt dragon," Barriss said quietly. Boba shrugged.

"Okay, die already, then," he said. Jia wanted to raise her arm to slap him, but her muscles weren't functioning anymore.

Derek stood back, watching the beautiful Mirilian and the man she had spoken to when they had first arrived at the party take care of Jia. Well, the Mirilian was taking care of her. The man was making annoying comments.

"We have to get her back to the ship," the Mirilian told the man.

"How far is your ship?" the man asked.

"About three klicks east of here," the Mirilian said.

"That's too far," Derek stepped into the conversation. "My apartment is about five minutes away."

"That'll work," the Mirilian decided. Derek nodded and bent down to pick Jia up, but the man beat him to it, scooping Jia up bridal style. The Mirilian watched nervously.

"Stay awake, Jia," she pleaded. Jia blinked many times, struggling to focus her vision. And then her eyes rolled back in her head and her head lolled limply to the side.

"Jia, Jia," the Mirilian gasped. The man placed her on the ground and the Mirilian kneeled down next to her. She felt for a pulse and then listened for breathing. "No," she whispered when there was nothing. "No."

* * *

Jia slowly came back to consciousness. She felt her hand clasped between two others and heard the sound of someone breathing close to her. She knew she had completely recovered if her sense of hearing was operating so well.

She opened her eyes, struggling to blink the fuzziness away. So maybe she wasn't fully recovered. As her vision came into focus, the first thing she saw was Derek stretched out next to her, one arm draped over her body, pulling her back into him. Next she saw she was laying on a couch in a living room. A fire roared in the fire place, giving the room a cozy, wintery feeling.

Slowly and quietly she slipped off the couch. She had been changed out of her dress and into an extra-large T-shirt she assumed belonged to Derek's father since it was too big to belong to him. Her make-up had been removed and her hair was down.

She spotted her notebook lying on corner of the coffee table. She knew that had been Derek's work. He was the only one who would think of that as a comfort object for her. She picked it up and gently opened it to the page she had been drawing on when she first met Derek.

It was a picture of the first Christmas she had with both Gavin and Kayla. Her two dogs and three cats were playing around the tree while the three children were laughing while opening presents. Her mom and dad sat on the sofa, watching the animals and kids with adoring expressions.

Jia kneeled down beside the fireplace, staring at the drawing. Tears started silently rolling down her cheeks and she smiled, remembering that moment perfectly. She was so caught up in the picture she didn't notice that Derek had woken up and was watching her intently.

"Those are beautiful drawings," he said finally. Jia started slightly.

"Oh, thanks," she murmured. Derek climbed off the sofa and sat down next to Jia. He wrapped one arm over her shoulders and pulled her into him.

"Those must be some wonderful memories," he commented.

"They would be if I could just let them go," Jia said quietly. Derek looked at her and then leaned in to kiss her cheek. And suddenly she felt her heart become lighter than it had been in years. She tore the page out of the book and threw it into the fire.

"You let go," Derek said, sounding surprised.

"It was easier than I thought," Jia sounded surprised as well. She smiled. "And now I feel happier than I have in a while."

She stared down at the notebook. She flipped to a page with a drawing of her little brother. She gently ran her finger down the page. And then she threw the entire book into the fire. Derek didn't stop her. He let her do what she felt she needed to do.

"Thank you," Jia whispered, turning to Derek. He smiled and grasped her hand.

"You're free now," he told her.

"I'm not free," Jia countered. "But I'm not a prisoner anymore, either." Tears started gathering in her eyes. Jia hugged Derek closely and buried her head in his shoulder. "I miss them so much."

Derek didn't know who "them" was, but he knew Jia would tell him when she was ready.

"I'm going to make some caf," he said after a while, when Jia's crying had stopped. "Would you like some?"

"Yes, please," Jia said quietly. Derek gave her a quick kiss on her forehead and then stood up. He went into his tiny kitchen and quickly made two cups of caf. He grabbed them and brought them out to the living room, but paused in the doorway when he heard Jia singing.

"_Where are you Christmas  
Why can't I find you  
Why have you gone away  
Where is the laughter  
You used to bring me  
Why can't I hear music play_

_My world is changing_  
_I'm rearranging_  
_Does that mean Christmas changes too_

_Where are you Christmas_  
_Do you remember_  
_The one you used to know_  
_I'm not the same one_  
_See what the time's done_  
_Is that why you have let me go_

_Christmas is here_  
_Everywhere, oh_  
_Christmas is here_  
_If you care, oh_

_If there is love in your heart and your mind_  
_You will feel like Christmas all the time_

_I feel you Christmas_  
_I know I've found you_  
_You never fade away_  
_The joy of Christmas_  
_Stays here inside us_  
_Fills each and every heart with love_

_Where are you Christmas_  
_Fill your heart with love."_

He watched Jia sit down on the sofa and try to hold back more tears. He wanted to go comfort her but something told him to wait. And then he heard her say:

"Happy Birthday, little brother."

* * *

_I know this is late. I said I would get it out yesterday, but I accidentally lied. I apologize. I also know that this chapter is sort of random and very poorly written, but these characters and events will help support the story later on. I also had no other way to write it any better. I had my cousin look at it, my other cousin look at it, my grandparents look at it, my aunt and uncle look at it; we all agreed it was just going to be a horrible chapter. But that's okay. The next chapter should be better._


	43. Let The Games Begin

**Let The Games Begin**

Derek woke up the next morning to find Jia gone. He sat up and slowly looked around his room. Her outfit from the night before was still folded neatly on the edge of his dresser, but her knife and gun were gone. Before deciding to panic, he went to search his tiny apartment.

He found Jia making breakfast in the kitchen, humming quietly to herself.

"This is a great way to say 'good morning,'" Derek said as he entered the kitchen. Jia turned around and smiled at him.

"I was hungry, but I didn't want to wake you up," she explained. Derek nodded in understanding and came to stand next to her. He leaned over the pot and gave it a light sniff. A sweet, sugary, creamy smell wafted up to his nose, and he licked his lips.

"Smells good," he said.

"That's 'cause it is good," Jia shot back at him, but her slight smile told him she was playing. Derek kissed her cheek and then went back into his room to get dressed. He slipped into a pair of jeans, a blue button-down shirt, with a black leather jacket and sturdy shoes. Under his jacket, he put on a shoulder holster and stuck two of his pistols in it. When he went back into the kitchen, Jia had breakfast on the table.

"Yay, food," Derek said.

"Okay, you know what-," Jia started playfully. Derek cut her off by shoving a food-covered spoon into her mouth. In retaliation, Jia smeared some of the breakfast on his face. She stood a couple feet back from Derek, watching him.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play, huh?" he asked her.

Jia just raised her eyebrows and shrugged. Derek nodded slowly and then threw a handful of food at her. Jia ducked and flung a spoonful at him. Derek side-stepped but it hit him in the shoulder. He grabbed his bowl of breakfast and charged at Jia with it. She squealed and ran in circles around the kitchen, trying to avoid getting hit by the food, but not wanting to spread the fight throughout the apartment.

Derek finally tackled her and dumped the bowl of breakfast onto her. Jia squeezed her eyes shut and laughed as the warm breakfast poured over her. Derek gently wiped the breakfast off her eyes and when she opened them she saw him staring at her intensely.

"What, Derek?" she asked quietly, suddenly feeling like electricity was crackling between the two of them.

"You're absolutely beautiful when you laugh like that," Derek told her, wiping more of the breakfast off her face. Jia was at a loss for what to say; Derek continued talking. "And I love your smile."

"You wanna know a secret?" Jia asked him. She gave him a small smile. "This smile only exists when I'm around you."

Derek nodded and smiled. He was tempted to kiss Jia, to try to heal what he could tell was a broken heart, but he knew she was the type of girl where he had to wait until she gave him some small signal that she was ready.

"Come on, we have to get cleaned up," he said finally. Jia nodded and Derek helped her up off the ground. He turned to get a towel to clean up the floor, but Jia grabbed his wrist and turned him back around to face her. She bit her lip and then stretched up, giving him a quick kiss.

"I saw the look," she told him as she pulled away.

"What look?" Derek asked.

"The one that told me you wanted to kiss me, but were going to wait," Jia said. She looked at Derek from under her eyelashes. "I have this skill where I can sort of read people's minds." Derek stared at her for a moment and then smiled.

"You are one amazing person," he said. Jia smiled shyly and looked down. She wasn't used to getting so many complements within one hour. Derek brushed more breakfast off her hair and then disappeared into his room. He came back a moment later with two towels.

"This won't be enough," Jia sighed.

"You can use the shower if you want," Derek offered.

"Okay, thanks," Jia said. She turned to go to the bathroom, but Derek suddenly grabbed her and pulled her down under the table. Moments later, the kitchen window shattered as a smoke bomb was launched into the house. Jia leapt into action, jumping out from under the table and dragging Derek into the living room. She slammed the door shut just as the bomb exploded.

"The hell is going on?" she asked him. Derek grabbed his two pistols and tossed one to Jia.

"You know how to use a gun, right?" he asked. Knowing he had seen what had happened the night before at the party, Jia gave him the 'are you kidding me?' look. He chuckled. "Thought so."

"Do you know who it is?" Jia asked. Derek shook his head. Jia nodded and then pulled him behind the sofa. "Stay down," she ordered. She pulled the curtains closed and then shot the fuse box, submerging the entire apartment into darkness.

"Where'd the lights go, man?" someone asked from the other side of the door.

"I don't know. Where'd the boy go?" someone else asked.

"He was just in here," the first one said.

"Shut up, Leslie. You too, Rogers," a rough voice barked. "And we aren't here for the boy anyways. We're here for his girl."

Jia crouched behind the sofa with Derek, listening to the conversation.

"Friends of yours?" he whispered in her ear.

"Apparently so," Jia breathed back. The door was kicked open and smoke poured into the living room. Three figures emerged from the kitchen, coughing and choking.

"On three?" Derek asked, readying his gun. Jia nodded.

"Three-" Jia readied her gun "-two-" Derek glanced over at Jia, giving her one last chance to back out. Her eyes were set determinedly on the three invaders "-one."

* * *

"Does he have to stay here?" Lylla hissed to Barriss. The Healer sighed tiredly.

"He said the only way he would help us was if we allowed him to stay with us," she said. She glanced over at Boba Fett, who was currently having a glaring competition with Cody and Rex.

"You know, last time you were with clones, you took down an entire frigate," Cody growled.

"And you got Ponds killed," Rex added. Boba shrugged, and both clones poised to leap at him. Barriss darted so she stood in between the three of them.

"Cool it, boys," she ordered.

"Where's Jia?" Lylla asked. She was curious why Barriss had returned with the bounty hunter and not the assassin.

"Dead, probably," Boba said nonchalantly. That was it for Cody. Despite the fact that Barriss was standing right there, he leapt at the older clone. They tumbled down onto the floor and Barriss started to go separate them, but was held back by Rex and Jax, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Let them burn off some steam," Jax murmured in the Jedi's ear. "Besides, I wouldn't mind seeing some sense beaten into the bounty hunter. I'll even help, if the Commander doesn't mind."

"No you won't," Lylla said loudly, hearing his muttered comment. Jax whipped around to look at her and saw her expression was daring him to argue with her. He laughed suddenly as he realized what great mother she was going to be.

"So where is Jia?" Rex asked.

"She was hit with some poison dart," Boba coughed from where Cody was using him as a punching bag.

"We took her back to Derek's apartment," Barriss told Lylla. "She's going to be fine. I'm just surprised she didn't die immediately. The amount of poison she was given should've killed her."

"She had an antidote, maybe?" Cody suggested, pausing momentarily in his beating of the bounty hunter.

"But that would mean she knew the guy was going to be there," Lylla said.

"Well, we have pictures of the guy and what he used to shoot the dart, but not the dart," Barriss said.

"Jia has the dart," Boba said, sitting up and wincing.

"Of course," Lylla sighed. Everyone fell into silence, lost in whatever they were doing; so when Lylla's comm went off they all leapt a foot into the air. She scrambled over Jax, who she had been leaning against while sitting on one of the sofas, to answer it. He grunted and rolled his eyes.

"Yes," Lylla answered a little breathlessly.

"Why are you not talking normally?" Jia asked. Lylla breathed a sigh of relief that Jia was okay.

"No reason. So where are you and when are you coming back?" she asked.

"Well, I have a little bit of a mess to clean up, but it should be soon," Jia answered.

"Sash, where are we putting the bodies?" a male voice asked in the background.

"Hold up, _bodies_?" Lylla squeaked.

"I told you I have a little bit of a mess to clean up," Jia said with an annoyed sigh. "What did you think I meant?"

"I thought you said you would try not to kill anybody," Lylla chastised.

"In my defense, they attacked first," Jia snapped. Lylla back down after that.

"When does the bounty hunter leave?" Rex cut in.

"Do not tell me you let that _thing_ in my ship," Jia growled.

"It was the only way he would work with us," Barriss said with a sigh.

"And has he been let alone anywhere?" Jia asked.

"No, we've had him under close surveillance the entire time," Jax said.

"Okay, good," Jia breathed, calming down a little.

"Sasha, I need your help," Derek spoke up again.

"'Kay," Jia answered. "I gotta go, guys. I'll be there soon." The transmission ended and Jax sighed.

"She is going to give us hell," he groaned.

"Ahh, you'll survive," Boba said. Everyone in the room turned to glare at him.

* * *

Derek stood a couple feet behind Jia, studying the impressive amount of people greet her from their places in the living room of her ship.

"Everybody, this is Derek," Jia introduced him. She hesitated and then decided to just tell everyone. "He's my boyfriend. Sort of. Unofficially." Derek saw one of the clones, who was cuddling next to a girl with blue stripes in her hair, turn to glare at him.

"He is so _cute_," the girl squealed, causing the clone to turn his on her and Derek to blush slightly.

"He better treat you better than that other boy did," Jax growled. Jia turned bright red in embarrassment, though she quickly got over it.

"So, what do we have?" she asked, walking over to Barriss.

"One dead kidnapper/mercenary-or-bounty-hunter, his weapon, the dart, and pictures of everything," she said. Jia nodded.

"Okay," Jia said, her mind already working furiously. "Shadow Squad, except Jax, you guys get to study the pictures and see if you can pull up any video feed from the party. Cody, you get to play match-that-face on my facial recognition software. Rex, you remember that second guy Lylla found on Mrs. Reed's security tapes? The one with the Rodian? See if you can place him. With anyone, anything, anyplace.

"Jax, you get the fun of analyzing the dart. Barriss and Lylla, you two work together to analyze the poison. Waxer and Boil, you two get to analyze the weapon. I want every little scratch, every little molecule of dust noted, logged, and recorded. Wooley and Fox, pull up schematics of the palace. If Shadow Squad shows he didn't come through the main entrance, I want every possibility of how he got into that party.

"Fives, you get to be the supervisor. You make sure they stay on task. And that doesn't mean kick your feet up and be a lazy bum. I mean help out a little at every "station," and keep a record of all the information that comes through you. You all need to write up full reports of everything you find. Leave them on my laptop if your done before I get back. Derek, ummm, how 'bout you study the pictures of those men who attacked us and of the smoke bomb? Fives will help you if you need it."

Jia paused to take a breath and Boba hoped she had forgotten about him. But then she whirled around from him and he sighed.

"You," she said, pointing at him, "come on." She led him off the ship and to the speeder and Derek had come over in.

"Where are we going?" Boba asked warily.

"Just get in," Jia snapped. He started slightly and gave a resigned sigh, climbing into the speeder. Jia started it and took off. "Where's your ship?"

"Turn east and just go," Boba said. "You'll come across it eventually."

Jia nodded and follow his instructions. Sure enough, his ship appeared in the distance. Jia stopped the speeder about fifty feet away and turned it off. She hopped out, Boba following. Together, they entered his ship.

"What do you want?" Boba asked, more suspicious now.

"I'm just looking," Jia murmured. "It's the same as I remember."

"Yup," Boba agreed, starting to let his guard down. He turned around to stare out the windshield of the cockpit and Jia saw her opportunity. Silently, she pulled out her gun and readied it. And suddenly, Boba found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you," he sighed. He looked around for his own weapon, but couldn't find it. Then he remembered Jax had locked his weapon away in the ship's safe.

"Well, you are a liar," Jia shot back. "Now, how 'bout you tell me what you were really doing at that party? And do it quickly."

"And if I don't?" Boba asked. Jia grinned, but instead of looking like a human smile, it looked almost like the way a snake smiles before it eats a mouse.

"I think you know what happens," she said in a soft voice. Boba did know, and though he would never admit it, Jia was starting to make him a little nervous. And suddenly he knew why Jia was acting the way she was: she had a lead, bigger than his, and though she could do without his information, it would help her greatly. He sighed again and closed his eyes tiredly.

* * *

Far away, on a different planet across the galaxy, sat a very politically powerful person. He was re-watching what had made headlines on Coruscant.

"So," he murmured to himself, "this "Angel" wants to play a game? I'll give her a game to play. Oh, I'll definitely give her a game to play."

He pressed a button, calling for his personal slave.

"Yes, Master?" the beautiful Togruta asked, bowing deeply.

"Drug up the Jedi again and then bring her to me," he ordered. His slave bowed again and then scurried away. She returned a couple minutes later with the Jedi who looked startlingly similar to her; enough to be relatives.

"So, Jedi," he said in a friendly voice, reaching out to touch her face. Ahsoka flinched back from him and bit at his fingers, not being able to do much else. The man chuckled and retracted his hand. "Feisty," he commented. He folded his hands in his lap and leaned down close to Ahsoka.

"Someone named "Angel" seems to be helping those in need," he started. "And I would really like to meet this "Angel." And we have someone in need. Do you think you could be a help to us?" Ahsoka glared at him with all the hate and loathing she could from within her tired, battered body. He chuckled again.

"Yes, I though you would agree," he said. Ahsoka let out a soft growl. She hated that the drugs being given to her took away her capability to speak, among other things. The man smiled and raised his hand to hit her. She cowered down and he replaced his hand in his lap. "Good, Jedi," he said, as if she were an animal he had been training. And then he electrocuted her.

Ahsoka opened her mouth in silent screams as she writhed on the floor. _Jia, if you can hear me,_ she thought, knowing right away who the "Angel" was, _help!_

* * *

_Let me know what you think!_


	44. Secrets

**Secrets**

Jia, who had been napping on one of the couches, cuddled up next to Derek, suddenly jumped up, her gun at ready and her hand on her knife. Everyone immediately went on alarm.

"Jia, what is it?" Barriss asked quietly. Jia looked around, blinking in confusion. Slowly, she put her gun back into her boot and relaxed, still looking puzzled.

"Did any of you guys here it?" she asked in a slightly shaky voice. Lylla exchanged a worried glance with Jax.

"Here what?" she asked gently. Jia shook her head and blinked rapidly.

"A voice cried out for help," Jia explained as she sat back down next to Derek. She looked up at Barriss, her blue eyes wide. "_Ahsoka's _voice cried out for help."

"Jia, Ahsoka is nowhere near here," Cody pointed out. He expected Jia to snap at him, but instead her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. And everyone knew Jia hated nothing more than being confused.

"Someone explain to me what just happened, then," she demanded after a moment. Barriss bit her lip as she thought.

"I think I might know what's going on, but part of it doesn't make sense," she said quietly. Jia snapped her head around to look at her, staring at her expectantly. Barriss sat down on the sofa across from her and sighed. "When Jedi have a special connection-"

"They can communicate with their mind. Sort of like telepathy," Jia interrupted. "Yeah, I know. Jac- uhh, another Jedi explained it to me." Derek wondered why she had cut herself off.

"Well, if you and Ahsoka are very close, that would explain how you heard her voice in your mind," Barriss explained slowly. Jia could sense her hesitation.

"But…?" she prompted. Barriss sighed.

"But, both people need to be Force sensitive for it to be possible," she said. Everyone held their breath as they waited for Jia's reaction. She pulled away from Derek and sat up straight.

"Hold up, are you implying that I'm Force sensitive?" she asked incredulously.

"It would explain your "assassin radars,"" Jax admitted.

"And how well you can read people," Rex added.

"Not to mention your uncanny ability to somehow always know _exactly_ what buttons to press to irk someone," Fives muttered. Jia glared at him and he chuckled quietly to himself.

"Uhh, no, that's not possible," she said. "There is no way in hell I can be Force sensitive. I mean, if I am, than why hasn't any of the Sith, Sloth, Slug- whatever they are- found me yet?"

"Because you also are able to mask your own presence," Barriss spoke up again. Jia raised her eyebrows and snorted in disbelief.

"And pigs fly," she retorted. Confused glanced were exchanged over her head and she rolled her eyes. "Saying from my home."

"Back to the point," Lylla said. "If you are Force sensitive, than you'll be able to track Ahsoka's presence or something, right?"

"Yes, let's all ask Jia to track Ahsoka's Force signature with her own Force sensitive-ness that she just found out about," Jia mocked in a high-pitched voice. Her eyes hardened into a glare. "Don't you think that if I could, I would've done so already? Or if that was even _possible_ that Barriss would have done that?"

Lylla shrank into the side of Jax, who glared at Jia. Jia shook her head again and then disappeared into the workout room. Derek was looking around in confusion.

"She did not take that well," Viz muttered.

"No really?" Zjarr asked sarcastically.

"Guys!" Lylla snapped. "If you're gonna kill each other, do it outside. I just cleaned this entire ship." Jax rolled his eyes, but everyone else let out quiet chuckles.

"So, what now?" Boba, who had been silent the entire time up until now, asked. He had a bruise on the back of his head from Jia's interrogation and his wrist was sprained, but otherwise he was fine. No one had batted an eye when he had returned with Jia with an injury.

"I don't know," Lylla admitted.

"I do," Barriss said. Everyone turned to look at her and she raised her voice. "We get to meet whoever it was that was with the Rodian face-to-face. It's time to run another con."

"And who's gonna run it?" Peixe asked.

"Me," Barriss stated calmly. Shocked silence filled the room, but when she glanced over at Cody, she saw him looking at her proudly.

* * *

Jia flipped through the reports that had been left on her laptop, as she had asked, but she wasn't really reading them. Her thoughts were wondering what to do about the Force-sensitive-issue. She had suspected it a while ago, but had pushed it to back of her mind, hoping no one would find out.

After a while, she gave up trying to read the reports and tossed them carelessly to the side. She let out a long sigh and hung her head back between her shoulders. It took her a moment to realize that Jax was leaning against the wall in front of her.

"Would you stop doing that?" she asked in annoyance.

"Doing what?" Jax asked innocently. Jia lifted her head and glared at him.

"You know what," she growled. Jax chuckled and came to sit next to her. Jia shifted so he would be able to sit comfortably.

"Why are you so confused lately?" he asked after a moment.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jia said too quickly. Jax raised his eyebrows, silently telling her that he knew, so there was no point in trying to hide it. Jia sighed again and gave in. "I'm not sure what to do about my feelings for Derek. I have a bounty hunter who was hired by our bad guy. And, on top of that, I just found out I'm possibly Force sensitive."

"One at a time," Jax instructed. "So, what do you mean you don't know what to do about your feelings about Derek?"

"The last time I felt this way about someone, he betrayed me for the Jedi," Jia said softly after a moment. "And I understand why, but it still hurts."

"Speaking of that, who is this "boy" so I know which Jedi to go and kill?" Jax asked. Jia looked at him, trying to figure out if he was joking or not. From the steely look in his eyes, she knew he wasn't.

"_That_ is none of your concern," she said. "I mean, I want to love him, but I don't know if I can stand getting hurt again."

"What do you mean you can't stand it?" Jax asked incredulously, but as soon as the words left his lips, he knew why.

"I act like I'm big and tough and invincible and nothing can hurt me, but I'm just as human as everyone else," Jia explained.

"That's a matter of opinion," Jax muttered. Jia smiled and hit him playfully.

"I mean, I've already lost all of my family. My heart has been broken three different times by three different boys. I lost my team mates, who were like a second family to me. I'll go crazy if someone else breaks my heart," she told him. "And trust me; you don't want me going crazy." Jax nodded vigorously in agreement and Jia rolled her eyes.

"Well, give it one more chance," Jax returned to the seriousness of the conversation. "Maybe he'll help you put the pieces back together." Jia nodded slowly and thoughtfully.

From behind the door of the computer room, Derek listened to the conversation. He had known Jia was hurt, but he hadn't known how badly. Now he understood why the clone, he know knew was named "Jax," had been watching him like a hawk. And he understood her hesitation to accept his invitation to the party, or the way she would regard him with guarded eyes sometimes, almost seeing if he was trustworthy.

He sighed. He needed to tell her what business his father was involved in before she found out. He was dreading the conversation, having seen how violently she could react to something she didn't like, but he knew the conversation was inevitable. He decided it was time to come clean.

"Jia," he called. During his time on Jia's ship, he had stopped calling her 'Sasha' and started calling her what everyone else did. Jia and Jax both looked over their shoulders at him, Jax giving him the usual glare. He stepped out of the computer room and the door closed behind him. "I need to talk to you."

Jax leaned down and muttered something in Jia's ear, causing her to elbow him and roll her eyes, but Derek saw she was also smiling a little. Jax got up and Derek took his place.

"I'll be in the workout room," Jax told Jia. Derek almost expected to hear "in case you need me" at the end of the sentence, but the clone just turned and entered the other room. Jia rolled her eyes again and then turned to Derek.

"So, talk," she ordered in a pleasant voice. Derek bit his lip, wondering how he was going to tell her without her freaking out.

"I need to tell you what sort of business my father is involved in," he started. Jia nodded, silently urging him to go on. Derek sighed and then blurted out, "My dad is an arms dealer." Jia nodded slowly, her mind reeling.

"Where does he get the weapons?" she asked after a moment. Derek winced. He should have known she would ask that question.

"Downed Republic cruisers," he admitted. Jia tensed up and her eyes flashed, but she kept her voice sure and steady.

"And you are to take over this _business_?" she questioned.

"Look, I'm not a fan of what my dad does either, but there's no way I can get out of it," Derek tried to rapidly explain, not wanting his short relationship with the assassin girl to end.

"There's always a way," Jia said in a tight voice, now struggling to reign in her emotions.

"Well, I haven't found it yet," Derek snapped. Then he took a deep breath and continued. "I know you're going to ask, so I'll just tell you: we sell to the armies that support the Separatists."

"The droids have enough weapons," Jia muttered darkly. She had seen first-hand what kind of weapons the droids had and the damage they could do.

"Not for the droid armies," Derek corrected. "For other armies."

"Oh," was all Jia said. She remained still and silent for a very long time, while Derek watched her anxiously, and then she stood up. "Thank you for telling me," she said formally.

"Sasha," he called, knowing the name would make her pause. During that pause, he stood up and gently turned her around to face him. "I told you because I don't want this coming between us and we need to be completely honest with each other," he told her in a low voice.

"You aren't gonna spout all the "I didn't tell you because it puts you in danger" crap?" Jia asked suspiciously.

"I know you can take care of yourself," Derek chuckled. Jia half-smiled at his comment. He tucked some hair behind her ear. "Besides, if I'm gonna be involved in this and we're be, you know, _together_, you need to know."

Jia nodded and bit her lip thoughtfully. Derek found himself watching her lip in fascination as he waited for her to respond. When he thought she was just going to give him the silent treatment, she finally answered.

"Come on," she said, leading him off the ship and into Alderaan's luscious forest. He followed curiously, hoping she wasn't leading him out here just to kill him.

"Yeah?" he asked, slightly nervous. Jia detected the nervousness in his voice and smiled a little at how naïve he was.

"I need to tell you about my past," she said quietly after a moment. She bit her lip again. No one knew all of what she was about to say. "_Everything_ about my past."

* * *

_I know I updated, yesterday, I think. Okay, so maybe I don't know, but don't expect these quick updates to become habit. This is only because I didn't have homework for once._

_An-te-ways, the end of the story is appraoching. And I'm gonna say that and then it'll take forever to come. But, my plan is for it to be soon, within the next few months. But don't worry, it'll take a little bit. There's still a whole lotta stuff that needs to happen to our mismatched team!_

_I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! As always, tell me what you think!_


	45. Ciri-Rose Bella

**Ciri-Rose Bella**

Jia fixed her earbud and double-checked her gun.

"Everyone in position?" she asked. She heard Lylla sigh.

"We've been at this for months," she muttered. "How many more of these are we going to have to pull off?"

Jia thought of the fear and pain in Ahsoka's voice when she had mentally called for help. Nothing like that had happened since, but it haunted Jia.

"Until we find Ahsoka," she said determinedly.

"It's been almost a year, give or take a few months," Zjarr said.

"Do you really think she's still alive?" Ouro finished for his brother.

"I won't stop until I know she's dead," Jia snapped. The two brothers look at each other with exasperated expressions.

They had left Alderaan shortly after Jia had gotten Ahsoka's message, leaving Derek there to run the "family business." He would give them periodic updates on which Separatists supporters were where and little things like that. They weren't very useful to the search mission, but Jia stored the data for when they got back to the Republic.

Boba's lead had been, in fact, valid, but hadn't led them to Ahsoka, just to where her captors had stopped off for a refuel. They had dropped him off on Tatooine where he claimed he was going to meet a girl. Jia had rolled her eyes, kissed his cheek, wished him the best of luck, and handed him a small bag of credits.

"Alright, well, remember that Lylla can't do that much," Jax growled. "I'm not sure she should even be up and running around."

"_Please_, Jax," Lylla let out an exasperated sigh. "I'll be fine."

Jia smiled at how protective Jax was being. Lylla's baby wasn't due for another couple of weeks, but Jax's protective-paternal side was coming out. He insisted on always being within fifty feet of Lylla and was always on alert to make sure nothing happened to her or the baby.

"You two are like an old married couple," Cody teased.

"You're just jealous," Barriss shot at him playfully. Jia had left the two of them on her ship to work "base camp," but so far all they had done was playfully argue.

Cody was distracted for a moment from the conversation when Barriss tucked some hair behind her ear. Because of Jia's relaxed rules, and the fact that she had changed around the ranks and just about everything else the clones and Jedi were used to, the Healer had taken to not wearing her hood around the ship. She still wore it in public, but rarely ever put it on as soon they were back in the privacy of the ship.

"And, on my mark," Jia said. "Five, four, three…"

* * *

Jia held her breath and closed her eyes, trembling with nervousness and anticipation. Jax slid into the cockpit and sat down next her, completely silent.

"This is it," Jia whispered. She let out a long breath and then sucked in another deep breath. "Fives, take the shot." There was total silence followed by the sound of a gun going off and screaming. "Good, now clear out," Jia ordered.

"Roger that," Fives said. Jia let out her breath and turned to share a triumphant look with Jax. Their triumph was short-lived, though.

"Jia, there's a problem," Ouro buzzed in. He and Tenger had been giving the duty of "personal body-guard" for Lylla by Jax.

"What problem?" Jax growled.

"Lylla's having really bad cramps," Tenger piped up.

"Oh, that's not good," Jia muttered. "That's not good at all!" She jumped up and threw the headset she had been wearing down onto the control panel of her ship. "Dammit!"

"What's wrong?" Jax asked desperately.

"She might be going into labor," Jia explained quickly, already moving towards the speeder bike they had "acquired" during one of their many jobs over the past few months.

"She's having the baby?" Jax asked, shocked.

"Maybe," Barriss spoke up. "But everybody needs to stay calm. Stressing isn't going to help Lylla."

"I don't stress," Jia snapped. "I act."

"Well act a lot less stressfully," Barriss retorted in a somewhat-amused voice. Jia didn't answer; she was too busy avoiding crashing into anything as she pushed the bike to its maximum speed.

"Jia, what do we do?" Fives asked.

"Get your team back to the ship," Jia ordered. "Help Jax prep the medbay."

"With what?" Fives snapped irritably.

"_I don't know_!" Jia said in an exasperated voice. "Ask Barriss."

"Jedi Offee?" Fives asked, calling the Healer by her formal title. Well, the formal title that had been given to her while she had been with Jia. Jia smiled to herself. Old habits seemed to die hard with the clones.

"I don't know what we have," Barriss answered. Jax groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Well why don't you get back here and find out?" he asked sarcastically.

"Cool it, Jax," Jia snapped. Jax took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.

Jia finally found Lylla. She was leaning against the side of a building, breathing heavily, with Tenger and Ouro looking on worriedly.

"I'm fine," she was saying.

"Stop lying and get on the damn speeder," Jia ordered, hopping off it, not bothering to turn it off. Lylla didn't say anything, just climbed on the speeder in between Ouro and Tenger.

"Get back to the ship," Jia shooed them away.

"How are you planning to get back, exactly?" Wooley asked her curiously.

"Someone can come get me after Lylla's back," Jia said.

"What if you run into any trouble?" Jax spared a moment to be worried about the reckless assassin girl he had come to love as a little sister.

"Please," Jia said with an eye-roll. "_Me run into trouble?_ You must be out of your mind." Jax just let out an annoyed sigh and went back to worrying Lylla.

"Well, call if you need help," Waxer told Jia.

"Yeah, that's gonna be difficult since I'm going off comms," Jia said.

"What?" Fives snapped. "Why in the name of-?" Jia sent her earbud offline before she heard the end of his sentence. Then she readied her gun and went on the alert. She swore she had seen movement in the shadows.

* * *

Cad Bane watched in shocked disbelief as a teenage girl pulled up on a speeder bike and traded places with the two clones and the pregnant girl. When he had listened to their conversation via his hacking device, he had expected the person who was so bossy to be a little older. At least a young adult.

He had shot the pregnant girl with a small amount of venom. Not enough to kill her or the child, but enough to scare the others into taking her back to the ship. His plan had been to follow them back, but here was their leader, standing fifty feet away from him, completely oblivious to his presence.

The bounty hunter wrinkled his nose. He strongly disliked humans in every way, shape, and form. They were disgusting creatures who thought too much of themselves and thought everyone and everything else was underneath him. But this human girl was slightly different. And when she pulled out her gun and crouched into a defensive position, his lip curled up in an amused half-smile. He found it slightly entertaining that this girl thought she could take him on.

"I know you're there," she called to where he was, but didn't approach. "Identify."

Bane raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. He had expected her to attack straight on, still thinking she had the element of surprise, not call for him to come out of the shadows. He decided to comply, but not in the way he knew this girl was expecting.

He crept around the back of the building, walking almost silently. Slowly, but not cautiously (after all, he had nothing to fear), he snuck up on the girl. He was two yards from her when her head snapped up and she whirled around. He mentally cursed and shot.

But instead of falling dead, like he had expected, she arched her back and the laser shot went straight over her. She leapt at him, holstering her gun and pulling out her knife in a second and a half. Bane had to admit he was impressed by her courage, even if she was an idiot for attacking him head-on.

He didn't see the knife until it cut into the side of his arm, and suddenly he was aware that she had another weapon. _You wanna play rough?_ he mentally asked her. _I can play rough._ He pulled out a vibro-blade, thinking the girl and her knife would be nothing against him and the blade. He quickly found out he was wrong.

The girl moved with the speed and fluidity of wind, always knowing where he was going to strike before he did, countering every one of his moves with her own. At one point, her ponytail hit him in the face as she spun, and he caught a whiff of fresh mountain water. Strange, for a human. They were always masking their scents with different lotions and perfumes they thought made them smell better, but this scent seemed to be natural.

After many minutes, they stood apart from each other, breathing heavily.

"Who in the hell are you?" the girl asked finally. Bane looked at her disbelievingly. She didn't know who he was. A girl with her skill could only be involved in the same business he was, and she had _no idea_ who he was. He would never admit to anyone, but it put a dent in his ego.

Instead of answering, he attacked her again. At the last minute, she rolled to the side and leapt on his back. He rolled onto his shoulder, intent on squashing the girl, but she let go of him before he could. They leapt at each other, their blades clashing. Bane saw the girl wince as her knife hit his, and he took that as his opportunity to beat her. He grabbed her around her neck, effectively cutting off her air supply.

With surprising strength and… _slipperiness, _she slipped out of his choke hold, but he grabbed her ponytail and brought the vibro-blade down on it, cutting off a handful of hair. Her eyes were wide with shock, but it didn't stop her. Instead, it seemed to fuel her, and she attacked with more ferocity than before.

Bane had to hand it to the girl. She had courage and skill, but she was a _human_, and they were never any match for him. He twisted her arm up and behind her back, and she let out a squeak of pain. He pulled her back against him and held the vibro-blade to her throat. She was still for a moment, and then she slowly dropped her knife and raised her arm halfway into the air in surrender. Bane was suspicious it was a hoax, but he released her anyways.

She stood a couple feet away from him, breathing heavily, wincing as she rotated her am. Her knife lay at her feet, but she made no attempt to pick it up. She seemed to have accepted she was beaten.

"_Now_ will you tell me who you are?" she asked in an annoyed voice when he just stood there. Bane chuckled. Not only did she have skill, she had a little bit of an attitude.

"Cad Bane, bounty hunter," he introduced himself with a tip of his hat.

"Oh, I've worked with some others in the same business," the girl wrinkled her nose. _I don't like you very much either, _Bane mentally retorted.

Out loud he said, "I'm sure you have, pretty little lady." The girl narrowed her sparkling blue eyes at him and then reached back to check the length of her hair. The ends of it were black and burnt and it was uneven, but otherwise it was fine.

"I can't believe you cut my hair," she said at last, her voice indignant. Bane was surprised that was what she chose to say, instead of something like "why did you just try to kill me?" He just shrugged and the girl let out an annoyed growl. "Well, if that's all, I'll be going." She turned to her speeder bike. Bane grabbed her arm and spun her back around to face him. She ended up a lot closer to him than he had intended, and he forced himself not to back away in disgust.

"Not so fast, sweetheart," he bared his fangs in a silent growl. The girl raised her eyebrows and licked her lips, obviously still annoyed.

"Would it help if I said please?" she asked sarcastically. Bane chuckled again and bent down to pick up her knife. She took the opportunity to kick him in the groin and then in the chest. Another kick to the face, and he was half-unconscious. She picked up her knife, dusted it off, and then crouched down next to him.

"What are you here for, Cad Bane?" she asked quietly, forcing him to look directly at her. Bane blinked and took a couple seconds to study the teenage girl. She had light tan skin, recently-shortened golden-blonde hair, and sparkling blue eyes that glowed with annoyance and pent up anger and hate. She wasn't as bad as the other female humans he had met; at least she had the decency to cover herself appropriately for being out in public.

"Well?" she asked, annoyed at his lack of an answer.

"There's a good amount of money over your head," he said at last. The girl nodded slowly, but didn't seem surprised. He assumed she had already known that.

"How did you find us?" she questioned.

"Tracked your communications with the Alderaanian arms dealer," Bane coughed. The girl nodded again and then patted his cheek.

"Thank you," she said. She stood up and Bane expected her to shoot him or knock him fully unconscious or something; not reach down a hand to help him up. She pulled a bag of credits seemingly out of nowhere and tossed it to him. "I advise you take that and leave," she said in a slightly threatening voice.

"I would prefer the money I'll get for you, little girl," Bane growled, but he was itching to count how much money she had just given him. The bag was surprisingly heavy for something so small.

"Maybe you'll get another chance, bounty hunter," the girl said, winking at him. "Besides, you don't want to be around when my friends get back."

"Clones, yes, I've encountered some before," Bane said lackadaisically, sensing that the tension and threatening mood from just moments before had dissipated. "Not the best things the Kaminoans have come up with." The girl's eyes flashed, but other than that, she remained the same outwardly.

"Well, you aren't the best thing the bounty hunters have come up with," she retorted after a moment. Bane grabbed her and pulled her close. He bared his fangs again and leaned down close to her. He expected to fight the want to get away from whatever disgusting scent she had coated herself in, but only the scent of burning birch hit his nose.

"Listen here, little girl-," he started, but the girl narrowed her eyes mischievously and stretched up as if she were about to kiss him. He automatically recoiled and she threw her head back laughing. Bane glared at her, about to attack her again, when he realized she wasn't so bad for a human. He decided to call it a draw. Besides, he didn't really need the money.

"Well, I guess I'll leave," he called over his shoulder as he started to walk away. He glanced back to the girl smiling and waving at him.

"Bye, bounty hunter," she called back. "Can't wait for round two!"

* * *

Viz pulled up to the ship and Jia jumped off the bike before it was even at a full stop. She ran into her ship and right into Rex, who was leaning against the doorframe.

"Ouchy," she cried. Rex looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Ouchy?" he repeated. Jia just shook her head, silently telling him to forget it. She pushed her way into the middle of the living room where Fox and Wooley were playing Sabacc.

"Where's Lylla?" she asked. Wooley nodded towards the medbay and Jia turned worried eyes on it. She approached the door and was about to knock, when it slid open and Barriss stood there.

"What's wrong with her?" Jia demanded. Barriss just gave her a long look and then led her over to the couch.

"Lylla's gone into labor early. The baby wasn't supposed to be due for another two weeks," she said quietly.

"Is that bad?" Jia asked. For all the medical training the doctor that had worked with Wolffe had given her, he had taught her nothing about pregnancy. She hadn't even known there was such thing as morning sickness until her mom was pregnant with her now-dead, unborn sister.

"It can be," Barriss said. "Especially since Lylla was had some venom injected into her and her body is trying to get rid of anything that might harm her." She felt the immediate change in Jia through the Force. Even when she couldn't protect her friends, she was still willing to fight for them. Barriss was mildly surprised by the realization and mildly surprised that the realization surprised her.

"What can I do?" Jia asked, getting up and starting to pace.

"Go help her," Barriss suggested. Jia froze and turned wide eyes on Barriss.

"I can't do that," she squeaked. "I might be able to stitch up a bullet wound but delivering a baby is something that goes way over my head." Jax stood in the doorway, watching the entire conversation. He had never seen Jia so frightened before. It brought a small smile of amusement to his lips that the girl who could kill so effortlessly was scared white at the thought of delivering a baby. Barriss grinned, also finding it somewhat humorous.

"She needs your support," she said. Jia slowly backed away from the doorway to the medbay, shaking her head.

"Call me when the baby's here," she said. With that she turned and fled into the workout room. A faint splash was heard and Barriss knew Jia had jumped into the pool. She looked up at Jax, who met her blue eyes with amber ones full of worry.

"I'll do everything I can," she promised the clone. Jax nodded and stepped back, allowing her room to enter the medbay. Soon, a baby's sweet cries were heard all throughout the ship. Jia reappeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Her hair was wet and pulled back in a messy bun and water dripped down her body. She was wrapped in a bathrobe; it was obvious she had just gotten out of the shower.

"Oh my..," she trailed off, staring at the baby in wonder. Lylla was looking what Jia would describe as a hot mess, but she smiled proudly down at the little crying bundle in her arms. Jia smiled and started trembling slightly from built up emotions that she was desperately trying to keep under control. Rex saw and motioned to Jia that he wanted to talk to her. He lead her into the cockpit and kicked out Peixe, who had been flying while everyone else had been wondering about Lylla.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting down in the pilot's seat. Jia sat down in the seat next to him.

"Why do you ask?" she muttered in a guarded voice. Rex sighed.

"Jia, I've been stuck on this damn ship with you for the last eight and a half months," he said in an exasperated voice. "I think I can read you pretty well by now." Jia let out a snort through her nose and glowered at Rex, but he didn't back down. Instead, he patiently waited for her to explain.

"I've only witnessed one other birth before," Jia whispered at last. "And that was my little brother's." Her eyes grew distant as she became lost in the memory and she relaxed back into the seat.

"I was nine when he was born. It was Christmas Eve. It was unexpected. I came home from school, and my parents weren't home. I called my dad, and he said my mom had gone into labor. He had one of his friends from work pick me up and drive me to the hospital.

"I remember that hospital room perfectly. I can tell you where everything in that room was. I can tell you at what angle the sun was coming through the window. I can tell you where _every single leaf on the fake flowers were._ And then when he was born I swore to myself I would do anything, go anywhere, be anyone, to protect my little brother. And I failed. And now I can't stand births because it reminds me of that horrible failure." She looked at Rex and shrugged apologetically. "It's the heavy price I had to pay for what I became."

"I'm sorry," Rex said, not sure how else to respond. Jia nodded and then smiled. She got up and gave Rex a quick hug before she returned to the living room. Rex stayed in the cockpit. It was only the second or third time Jia had opened up to him. He realized she was slowly starting to put back together the pieces of her shattered.

* * *

Jia sat next to Lylla and placed her hand on the baby's cheek. She smiled warmly and kissed the baby's forehead.

"What's her name?" she asked Lylla quietly.

"I was wondering if you had any ideas. The names of your aliases are always so beautiful and unique, I was wanted to know what you might come up with," the new mother explained. Jia thought for a moment and then looked back down at the baby.

"What about Ciri?" she suggested after a moment. Lylla thought and then nodded.

"Ciri," she repeated. "I like that, but I also was thinking about the name Rose." Jia looked thoughtful and then smiled.

"How about Ciri-Rose?" she asked. "And you can call her Ciri or Rose, whatever you want." Lylla nodded enthusiastically.

"And a middle name?" she asked. Jia stood up and stretched.

"Let Jax choose that," she advised with a yawn. Lylla just smiled. For once, she felt completely happy. She had Jia, Jax, and a new baby girl. Her life was perfect for the moment.

"Speak of the devil," she teased as Jax entered the room. Jia laughed quietly, gave Ciri-Rose another kiss and exited the room, giving Jax and Lylla privacy. He took Jia's place and placed his hand over one of Lylla's.

"What were you two talking about?" he asked curiously.

"Baby names," Lylla said. "We decided Ciri-Rose for the first name. Jia said I should let you choose the middle name."

"Is she gonna have a last name?" Jax wondered out loud. Lylla nodded.

"Of course," she said. "She'll have my last name: Reed." Jax was silent, and Lylla thought he was going to object, but then she realized he was thinking.

"Bella," he said at last. "I want her middle name to be Bella." Lylla smiled.

"Ciri-Rose Bella Reed," she said her baby's full name, enjoying the way it flowed. "I love it. It's perfect. She's perfect." Jax nodded in agreement and kissed Lylla on the cheek.

"You need to get some sleep," he instructed. "I'll come get you when there's something important going on." Lylla started to object, but then she realized just how tired she was. She nodded, yawned, and closed her eyes. Within seconds she was asleep.

* * *

_So, I know I said not to get used to me udating everyday or everyother day, but I just seem to be on a roll. For those who were a little lost, there was a time lapse of a few months between the last chapter and this chapter. I know the Cad Bane part was a little random, but I couldn't resist. He's my overall favorite bady guy. Anyways, let me know what you think!_


	46. Little Slips

_So, it only took about a week for me to get this chapter done. An improvement over how horrible I was at updating last year. This part of the mission is wrapping up (I'm sure that makes no sense at the moment, but you'll understand in a couple chapters). Let me know what you think!_

**Little Slips**

Jia displayed a picture of the team's newest mark and his mansion on the big computer screen.

"Barriss, Cody, Rex, and I will be the only ones in the field this time," she said. She pointed to the main entrances. "Each couple will enter from different points. We can pass off Cody and Rex as being twins if anyone asks. If no one does, don't tell."

"Jia," Jax sighed. "We know how to do this by now." Jia nodded and smiled.

"Good, now let's go get ready," she instructed. The team dissipated and Lylla approached Jia, gently rocking Ciri, as she and Jax had decided to name their baby girl. Ciri had thick black hair, like her father, olive skin, like her father, but Lylla's slight build. Her eyes were a glowing silver that no one knew where they came from, decorated with flecks of amber.

"Why can't I go?" she asked. "I've already had Ciri. I'm fine now."

"Ciri needs you," Jia said, turning around and starting to download more information onto her laptop.

"So?" Lylla asked, slightly annoyed. Jia whirled around.

"Do you know how hard it is for someone to lose their parent?" she snapped. "Ciri can't afford to lose you. _That_ is why you can't go."

"Oh," Lylla said, suddenly understanding why Jia was refusing to let her participate in any more jobs. Jia gave a brisk nod and turned back to her laptop.

"You shouldn't snap at her," Barriss murmured, silently replacing Lylla.

"I know," Jia sighed. "I know."

"Then why do you?" Barriss asked curiously, following Jia as she went into the refresher and started prepping different hair tools and image-altering materials.

"Why do you refrain from loving Cody?" Jia retorted, not realizing what she had said until Barriss's lack of an answer. She turned around and found the Healer staring at her, the blood drained from her face.

"How do you know about that?" she whispered. Jia shrugged.

"_Hello_, I read people. He's liked you for, like, ever. You've developed feelings for him over the duration of the rescue mission. Of course, the feelings were already there. It just took you this mission to acknowledge them. I mean, why do you think I'm always making you two work together and leaving y'all alone and stuff?" she said, going back to prepping the materials.

"I just always assumed that…," Barriss trailed off, not having an answer without revealing that she knew what Jia had been up to. Jia raised an eyebrow and nodded knowingly.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," she said, still busy. "Love is a wonderful, amazing thing. I don't understand why the Jedi are so against it. Love is what brought my mismatched family together. Love is what drove my parents to make the decisions they did. Love is what influenced Red and Eagle's actions, saving my life. Love is-"

"What made you become what you are," Barriss interrupted. "Which is why the Jedi forbid it. Not everyone can control it." Jia just rolled her eyes.

"Jedi and their rules. So ridiculous," she muttered fiercely. _Love is what made me lose Jacob,_ she thought. She saw Barriss nodding slowly and knew she had accidentally been projecting her thoughts for the Healer to hear.

"Don't judge us too harshly, Jia," Barriss suggested softly, sitting down in the chair Jia had set out, preparing herself to have to sit still for the next few hours. She knew the assassin girl had always been hostile towards the Jedi, especially ones who were not necessarily open to bending the rules. "We do what we think is best."

"No," Jia countered. "You do what your _Council thinks is best._"

"They are the wisest, most knowledgeable of us. They are on the Council for a reason," Barriss automatically defended her Masters. She had to admit, she had always been a little in awe of them, especially her own Master. She sometimes envied the way her Master could stay so calm and collected, never acting in the moment and never,_ ever _making decisions based on her emotions. Almost the complete opposite of Jia.

"People in power are all the same," Jia snarled under her breath. "Selfish, greedy, only seeing what they want."

"What do you mean?" Barriss was curious again. Jia rolled her eyes.

"Are you all so stupid?" she asked with a sigh. "Can't you see how many lies your precious Council lives? Don't you know all the rules that are being broken on a regular basis?"

"Meaning?" Barriss prompted. Jia muttered something about it "not being her secrets to tell." The two girls lapsed into silence

"Don't take it personally," Jia said after a moment, brushing out Barriss's long, thick hair. "I have nothing against you. You're one of the few Jedi I actually _like._"

"Thank you, I think," Barriss said, smiling. Then her smile morphed into a thoughtful expression. "Do you think Cody really has feelings for me?"

"_Girl,_" Jia said in an exasperated tone. "That boy is in _love _with you. He almost never has his eyes off you. Don't tell me you haven't noticed how he is _always_ in a position where he can have you in his peripheral vision."

"I haven't noticed," Barriss said with a casual shrug. Jia groaned playfully.

"Ugh, you Jedi are killing me here." She separated some strands of Barriss's hair and started straightening it. Barriss laughed, but grew serious again.

"But, I mean, how do I tell him that I return his feelings?" she asked.

"Girl, I ain't the love doctor," Jia snapped playfully. "But you just have to wait for the right time."

"When will that be?" Barriss asked.

"You'll know," Jia said. "Trust me. It'll just slip out in something you say."

"Thanks, that clears things up," Barriss muttered sarcastically. Jia just smiled. Again, they lapsed into silence. Jia was letting her mind wander. Mainly, she was thinking about Derek and Ciri.

She had always loved children and wanted some of her own. She just hadn't known how magical they could be. Derek had made a comment to her about wanting to start a family, but after the war ended. He didn't want the risk of their child growing up an orphan, or having only one parent. Jia had fervently agreed.

Barriss was thinking about something that had been bothering her for days. She knew Jia couldn't tell, because the assassin wasn't trained in using the Force, but she knew that most other trained Force sensitive beings could tell. Ciri was strong with the Force. _Really _strong. It was all Barriss could do to mask the baby's presence and her own. She was glad Jia naturally hid her own Force signature, otherwise it would be too much. What Barriss worried about was when she left for jobs, how she would disguise the child's signature. The only way to ensure the child would be safe was to hand her over to the Jedi, but the Healer knew Lylla, Jia, and Jax would all be strongly opposed to the idea.

* * *

Not another word was spoken for the next few hours between the two girls as they became lost in their thoughts.

In the cockpit, Jax, Cody, and Rex were having a discussion somewhat similar to the discussion the Jedi Healer and the assassin had been having.

"Worried?" Jax teased the two older clones. They both shook their heads, but Cody looked distracted. Jax noticed right away.

"Yes you are," he countered.

"Not about the mission," Cody said, still looking distracted.

"About what?' Rex asked curiously. Suddenly, Cody went from looking distracted to looking uncomfortable.

"A girl!" Jax exclaimed, knowing exactly what that look meant.

"No," Cody fervently denied. Jax just raised his eyebrows and looked at him knowingly. One thing Jia had taught him to never hold back information from your team, since they were your lifeline. Obviously, these clones had not been taught the same thing. He shrugged after a minute.

"Whatever," he said. He turned on a datapad and pulled up what HNN was reporting to the public. He always tried to keep tabs on what the new was telling the general population, deciphering which of it was true, which of it was rumors, and which of it was exaggerated.

"How do I explain it to her, though?" Cody asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the three clones.

"Who is it?" Rex asked. Cody looked uncomfortable again and Jax rolled his eyes. He had a pretty good idea of who it was, but if the Commander wasn't comfortably admitting it, he wasn't going to share his suspicions.

"It doesn't matter who it is," he said a little more loudly than necessary. "Just wait for her to give you a sign or say something. Then you'll know and you won't look like a di'kut if she doesn't share the feelings you have for her."

"When did you become so knowledgeable about girls?" Rex asked Jax.

"I'm a boyfriend and a father, vod," Jax said, grinning. "I think I know a thing or two."

"Speaking of which, are you ever going to propose to her?" Cody asked, glad the conversation was off him.

"I don't know," Jax said, shrugging. "Probably. But everyone's just so busy with this damn rescue mission."

"Doesn't it bother you that you aren't her biological father?" Cody wondered out loud.

"Technically, I am her biological father," Jax retorted. Cody rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean," he sighed. Jax conceded.

"But, yeah, it does sometimes. But, it's all cool," he explained. "I promised Lylla we would be a family. It doesn't matter if I'm Ciri's "biological" father or not. I plan on keeping my promise."

Cody and Rex exchanged a glance.

"Once this mission ends, we're going to be sent back. And the GAR doesn't have the same… _leniency _Jia does on the rules and codes of conduct," Rex reminded his younger brother. Jax didn't seem bother, though.

"Rules have never been a problem for me," he said nonchalantly.

"You're as bad as Jia," Cody muttered. Jax chuckled.

"You forget that she trained me," he told them.

"You're right," Rex acknowledged. "But I remember how pissed she was that she had to train you guys."

"It worked out," Jax retorted. Cody chuckled.

"Obviously." Jax smiled and continued studying the news. Suddenly, something caught his eye and he sat up straight.

"Look at this," he told the older clones. They leaned in so they could see what had gotten his attention. It was a news story on the 501st, but more about Anakin. The anchor was a small, petite woman who was obviously enraptured by the handsome General. Jax hit the play button and they all watched curiously.

"With me today I have General Anakin Skywalker, General of the great 501st," the anchor said, "with his first-hand story of how the war is affecting the people who fight in it."

Anakin smiled and nodded his thanks. He launched into a detailed story of how hard army life was, how he rarely got to see his close friends who had become like family, how sometimes the Jedi's rules restricted him, etc. He said almost nothing about the clones.

Cody was shocked while Jax wasn't at all bothered by it. Rex, on the other hand, became beyond furious. His General, the leader he had respected and willingly followed, was taking all the credit for the hard work the clones did. Making it sound like they really were wet droids.

The reel ended and Jax raised his eyebrows.

"That was… interesting," he said at last. He looked up at Rex. "Quite a General you have there." Rex was too angry to answer.

"I never though General Skywalker was _that_ type of Jedi," Cody commented quietly.

"I didn't either," Rex managed to get out through clenched teeth. Jax just shook his head and continued looking through the news.

"Now you see why I think Jia would be a great General," he said, referring to an argument the three of them had gotten in many times before during the past nine or so months.

"For once, I actually agree," Cody murmured. He looked at Rex. Rex just closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself down.

"She would make one hell of a General," he said at last. Cody and Jax nodded in agreement.

"One problem, though," Jax pointed out glumly. Cody nodded again and finished the younger clone's thought.

"She gets along with the Jedi about as well as the Separatists do."

* * *

Barriss entered the party with Cody at her side. Her stomach kept clenching up in anticipation, but anticipation for _what_, she didn't know. She could sense that Cody was also nervous, but he kept it well hidden.

"You guys in?" Jia asked.

"Just joined the party," Cody reported, taking two drinks from a waiter and handing one to Barriss. She accepted it with a nod of thanks and took a sip.

"Remember, our mission is recon, not destruction. Whatever happens _do not engage. That is a strict order. _The time for killing will come soon, just not tonight," Jia reminded them. Cody chuckled and shook his head slightly. He led Barriss to the ballroom, but felt her tug gently on his hand, hesitating to enter the room.

"What?" he asked.

"I can't dance," Barriss told him quietly. Cody smiled reassuringly.

"But I can," he said. "Just… follow me. I won't let you fall. I promise." Barriss stared at him for a moment and then nodded. Across the mansion, Jia smiled to herself. The moment had a lot more meaning than either one of them realized.

"What?" Rex asked suspiciously, seeing her smile. Jia just sighed happily and shook her head. They eventually made their way to the ballroom, as well. Jia kept her eye on Barriss and Cody the entire time, watching them. It made her happy that such innocent love could be found in at a time where innocence was rare.

Sure enough, Cody was keeping his promise. Everytime Barriss would stumble, he would catch her and make it seem like it was part of the dance. Barriss's nervousness faded as soon as she picked up the dance. She wasn't as graceful as Jia, or as good at it as the clones, but it was better than being clueless. And she was enjoying the time she was spending with Cody. Her talk with Jia suddenly made all the looks, the touches, the smiles, seem more precious than before.

"I'm thirsty," Jia stated when she and Rex took a break from dancing. "I'm going to get a drink. Would you like something?" Rex shook his head, suddenly impatient for Jia to leave. He had spotted someone suspicious in the far corner of the room. The person kept to himself, shooing away anyone who tried to make conversation with him. He had intelligent eyes that flicked back and forth, much like Jia's.

That's what had got Rex's attention. The way the man kept looking around the room, searching for _someone_. His gaze landed on Cody and Barriss and he looked suspicious for a moment, but then moved his gaze to another dancing couple. Then his gaze switched to Jia. And Rex could tell she had caught his eye.

She wasn't doing anything to give away that she might be on a spying mission, but she was too aware of her surroundings, giving away that she wasn't a normal civilian, like the people who had been invited to the party. The man continued to study Jia through narrowed eyes, but then he turned and exited the room. Rex made a last-minute decision to follow the man. He slipped out after him, keeping his distance.

The man made his way through long, empty hallways, never indicating that he was aware of Rex's presence. At one point Rex lost him. He mentally cursed and started checking behind every door on the hallway. He interrupted some happy couples, but quickly shut the door before they could get a complaint out. He checked behind another door and found that it was just storage containers. He closed the door and turned around, only to find himself face-to-face with the man.

"Looking for something?" the man hissed, pulling out a gun and pressing it against Rex's side. The clone wasn't the least frightened for his life; he had grown up being shot at. He was scared, though, that he had blown the mission.

"Just the refresher," he lied smoothly.

"You lie," the man said.

"Excuse me," a soft voice said from behind the two men. They both spun around to see Jia standing in the hallway, looking like and Egyptian goddess in her fluttering white dress with the gold trimming and gold headdress to go with it. "But you are manhandling my employee."

"Employee?" the man asked, raising his eyebrows.

"He works for me," Jia said, approaching the men.

"Does he?" the man retorted.

"Yes," Jia said, sliding in between the man and Rex. She stared up at Rex, giving him a promising look. The man didn't miss the look.

"Ahhhhh," he said in understanding, "he works for you. I'll just leave you two be. You have a good night."

As he turned and left the hallway, Jia stood up on her tiptoes and gave Rex a deep and passionate kiss. After a couple moments, she broke away.

"You idiot," she breathed. "What the hell were you thinking, sneaking away like that?"

"I thought he was someone who might possibly know where Ahsoka might be," Rex snapped.

"Rex," Jia said gently. "I know this is hard for you, but you can't do anything to jeopardize this mission."

"Like what?" Rex asked.

"Like sneaking off without back-up and/or a weapon," Jia said sharply.

"You don't have any weapons on you," Rex countered. Jia sighed and grabbed his hand. She brought it up to right below her breasts and Rex's eyes widened. He started to pull his hand away, but then he realized that she was showing him something. He could feel some sort of rope or something coiled three times around her ribcage.

"Whip," Jia said. She moved Rex's hand to her right thigh and he could feel the holster strapped around her leg. "Gun." She released his hand and slid off her shoe. She turned it upside down and pulled back the bottom of the heel. The chipping red paint of the hilt of her knife glinted dully in the light of the hall. "Knife."

"I get your point," Rex grumbled. Jia narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't snap back. She just led him back to the ballroom, but Cody and Barriss had disappeared. Jia groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Where the hell are you guys?" she asked in annoyance. When there wasn't an answer her annoyance turned to adrenaline; she could sense a fight coming. Soon.

* * *

Barriss studied the guards that had her and Cody cornered in a room. There was no way they could escape without help, and the guards had taken their earbuds.

"You thought you could get away with spying on _me?_" their mark asked incredulously. Neither one answered. Barriss continued to study the guards and Cody glared mutinously at the mark. "_Me?_ The greatest thief of all time!" Again, neither one answered. The mark snarled. "Fine. We'll get answers the hard way."

Barriss moved her gaze from the guards to their mark. Jia's order rang clear in her ears: _"Whatever happens, do not engage. That is a strict order."_ Cody, on the other hand, either did not remember or just didn't obey. One of the guards approached with a probe droid, and Cody attacked. Barriss had no choice but to back him up.

The fight got messy and out of hand. Their mark slipped out, leaving his goons to do the dirty work. At one point, a gun was fired and from the corner of her eye, Barriss saw Cody go down. And that was when she snapped.

* * *

Lylla let out a groan and put her head in her hands, rubbing her forehead. They were sitting in the living room; Cody and Jax were arguing loudly, Ciri was crying, and Rex was trying to calm things down between his two brothers, without much luck. Jia had taken Barriss to the side and was having a very serious talk with her, which was odd for the assassin. She usually yelled for a couple minutes and then let things pass over; she never had a "serious talk" about something.

"You should've followed orders," Jax was saying quite loudly to Cody.

"Oh, like you do?" Cody retorted.

"Would you guys stop?" Lylla asked in annoyance.

"I actually _know_ which orders to break without jeopardizing the mission," Jax snapped, talking over her.

"It's done, it's over," Rex tried to interrupt the argument. "We all got out alive. No harm done."

"No harm done?" Jax repeated incredulously. He turned back to Cody. "You blew the _entire mission_! We have to start from scratch!"

"It can't be that bad," Rex reasoned. He was ignored this time.

"It's not like your rescue made things any better," Cody told Jax.

"Would you stop it?" Lylla asked again, a little louder this time.

"Excuse me, but my "rescue" saved your sorry Commander ass," Jax once again spoke over Lylla. That was it for Lylla. She jumped up and slammed her hands down on the coffee table.

"Stop!" she yelled, followed by startled silence. She took a couple deep breaths and turned a harsh glare on all three of the clones. "You are DONE with this argument! If I hear _another_ word, I will snitch on all of you to Jia, and she won't be too happy with you! Rex is right; it's done and over. So what we messed up? We aren't perfect. And it's _no one's_ fault!"

The clones shared surprised glances and then seemed to come to a truce. They nodded in agreement and started to stand up. Lylla let out a breath.

"Thank you," she said, giving a sharp nod. She turned to pick Ciri up out of her make-shift crib and started to gently rock her. She hummed quietly for a while, and Ciri quieted down.

The energy level on the ship suddenly dropped severely, and everyone got the sense that it was time for bed. Jax dimmed all the lights, and then stretched out on one of the sofa's watching Lylla as she moved in the shadows with her baby.

"_Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby.  
Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay;  
And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow  
Bless you with love for the road that you go."_

She sang quietly to Ciri. It was a song her mother used to sing her when she was a little girl. But then Lylla had decided she was too big for lullabies and refused to listen to it. She regretted that decision almost every day now.

"_May you sail far to the far fields of fortune,  
With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet.  
And may you need never to banish misfortune.  
May you find kindness in all that you meet._

_May there always be angels to watch over you;  
To guide you each step of the way,  
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm.  
Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay."_

Jax started nodding off to the soft, soothing lullaby. He hadn't known Lylla was able to sing so well. Her voice was sweet and high, a lot like Jia's. The only difference was Jia had a naturally rough edge to her voice, a sweet vibrato that came from her mixed heritage. She had explained one time briefly that the vibrato was due to an accent she kept hidden well away, but Jax had realized that if you listened close enough to her speech pattern, you could faintly hear her accent sometimes, especially with multisyllabic words.

"_May you bring love and may you bring happiness.  
Be loved in return to the end of your days.  
Now fall off to sleep, I'm not meaning to keep you.  
I'll just sit for a while and sing loo-li, lai-lay._

_May there always be angels to watch over you;  
To guide you each step of the way,  
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm.  
Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay."_

Jia and Barriss were returning from their "serious talk," but Jia held out her hand, a signal to pause, when she heard Lylla singing. She had never heard her friend sing, and didn't want to interrupt her. When it was clear the song had ended, the Healer and the assassin finished walking into the room. Lylla was setting Ciri back into the crib and settling down on the sofa next to Jax.

"Thanks for the talk, Jia," Barriss said in a low voice. "I needed it." Jia smiled and gave the Healer a quick, friendly hug.

"Just remember what we talked about," she advised, before fading into the shadows. Moments later, she reappeared on one of the fold-out bunks, asleep.

Barriss searched the ship for Cody, and quickly found him in the workout room, wrestling with Rex. They stopped when they saw her, and Rex gave Cody a knowing glance. He quickly and quietly left the room, giving Barriss a nod of greeting as he walked past her.

"Hey," Barriss said awkwardly, not sure what else to say.

"Hey," Cody responded, taking a swig of water, and waiting for her to reveal what she wanted to talk about.

"So, what happened back there?" she asked after a moment. Cody shrugged, and Barriss's voice grew sharp. "Because if I remember correctly, Jia gave us strict orders _not to engage. No matter what._"

Cody grew stiff and his eyes hardened.

"They were coming at us with a probe droid. You might not know how horrible those things are, but I do. I've been interrogated by them before," he just barely stopped himself from adding, "_And I couldn't let you go through it." _Then he turned a somewhat angry gaze on Barriss. "Besides, when I went down, the last thing I saw was you Kimbo slicing through that group of guards, Ms. _"Jia gave us strict orders."_"

Barriss started trembling with emotions and Cody was surprised she was getting so worked up.

"I heard the gun go off and I saw you fall- I didn't stop to use the Force to check if you were okay- I just- I couldn't- I lost control and my only thought was…," she trailed off, not being able to explain it without admitting that she was in love with the clone. Cody's anger evaporated and he took a step closer to the Healer.

"Your only thought was?" he prompted. But Barriss had already said it. She had already revealed her feelings for the Commander, even though it wasn't directly. It was the slip Jia had been talking about.

"That I love you," she whispered, licking her lips nervously. As soon as she said it, she felt as though a big weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The words had been hard to get out, but now that they were, she felt like she could breathe easier. Cody nodded slowly, his intelligent amber eyes staring intensely into the Jedi's. "Say something," she pleaded when he remained silent.

"Aren't you going to get in trouble?" Cody asked after a moment. Barriss's eyes flashed with hurt, but she didn't show it otherwise.

"Maybe," she admitted. "But only if we get caught. And being on this mission has taught me something I thought was ridiculous."

"What's that?" Cody asked, taking another step closer and cocking his head to the side. Barriss looked down.

"That breaking the rules is okay," she said quietly. Cody responded by kissing the young Healer, much to her surprise. He smiled as he pulled away.

"You're right," he agreed, "it is."


	47. Not As Planned

**Not As Planned**

Jia tossed and turned, her sleep plagued by bad dreams. She hadn't had such a bad night's sleep in months. No, scratch that. A year or two. She only got so many bad dreams at one time when something bad was about to happen. It had always been like that for her; ever since she was three or four.

She could remember the first time it happened to her very clearly. She had been having extremely bad dreams about being in a car crash. A few days later, one of her best childhood friend's parents got in a severe car crash. It didn't kill them, but they were both seriously injured.

But her dreams now weren't so straightforward. She knew it had something to do with a female she cared about and a bald man in a place of power. That was all she was getting from the swirls of colors. But the sense of terror and pain were strong in the nightmares. And she would wake up with adrenaline rushing through her, ready for a fight.

Fives watched Jia worriedly. He knew she wasn't getting enough rest. Now she kept curling up tightly, as if she were protecting herself from something. He decided to just wake her up from whatever nightmare she was having.

"Jia," he whispered, knowing how sensitive Jia's ears were, even when she was sleeping. The assassin shot upright and had her hands around Fives's neck before her eyes were fully open. Fives forced himself to fight his instinct to fight back, knowing that if he did, it would only make things worse.

"Fives," Jia gasped, breathing heavily. She released him from her death grip and fell back onto the bunk.

"You were having a bad dream," Fives explained in a whisper. "In the barracks, and even here, we have brothers to wake us up if it gets bad for us."

"I'm all alone, though," Jia finished his thought. She gave him a weak smile and closed her eyes again. "Thanks."

"What was it about?" Fives asked curiously. Jia just rested her hands on her forehead and shook her head. When she felt Fives's steady gaze on her, she opened her eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Fives said after a moment. "You can go back to sleep."

"Nah," Jia said, sitting up again. She jumped off the bunk and landed silently on the floor. "I won't be able to go back to sleep." Fives knew that her real reason was that she didn't want another nightmare, but he didn't say so. They walked into the cockpit and Jia plopped down into the pilot's chair. She watched Fives as he sat down, her head tipped to the side slightly the way it was when she was curious about something.

"Yes?" he asked, when she didn't say anything. Jia smiled a little.

"Do you have a girl, Fives?" she asked him. He paused, surprised. That was not the type of question he had been expecting.

"No," he answered. Jia nodded.

"Could you see yourself with one?" she inquired.

"I guess," Fives said hesitantly. "Why?"

"I'm not asking for myself," Jia said, laughing. Fives noticed how she didn't answer his question directly, but got rid of his suspicions. "I'm just asking. To make conversation. And because I don't really know you that well."

"You know one clone, you know all the others," Fives muttered. "That's what the Kaminoans think."

"Well, not me," Jia's voice was low soothing. Fives looked at her curiously.

"Why do you dislike the Jedi so much?" he decided it was his turn to play 20 Questions. Jia bit her lip as she thought.

"Call me judgmental, but for whatever reason, if I pick up some sort of small signal from someone, I either like them, or don't," she explained after a couple moments. "I've always been that way. It's saved my ass a couple times, but it's also made me some enemies."

"You didn't answer my question," Fives pointed out. Jia smiled.

"I dislike the Jedi because they are just very… not conceited, but… disconnected. That's the word. They're very disconnected. With life, with people, with how this galaxy actually works. They have their "being-a-Jedi-makes-me-very-wise" point of view, and it is difficult for them to see any way different," she said.

"And, you see the world normally?" Fives teased.

"I wasn't always an assassin," Jia reminded him. "That's the difference between me, and the Jedi, and the clones. I remember when I was the only child and I had cousins and friends to play with. And then I remember as I got older and we adopted this little orphan girl from Switzerland, and it happened she had the same birthday I did. I had a twin sister. I remember going to school, I remember traveling to see my family. I remember not always being on the top.

I know what it's like being the underdog. I know what it's like to love. I know what it's like to lose. I remember becoming an older sister. I remember all the trouble I used to get into. I remember having to grow up too quickly. I remember having to raise my little brother. I _remember_ all of this so I never forget who I used to be.

The Jedi all have lived at the Temple since they were very little; two or three, or tiny babies even. Clones start their training right away. And even the Senators. I mean, they go to special schools, take special classes. Most of them are born into families of some sort of importance."

"So, you don't like the Jedi because they only think one way and aren't necessarily receptive of different ways of thinking?" Fives asked after a moment. Jia laughed.

"Exactly that," she said. "I just took the long way to say it." Fives joined in the laughter, noticing how Jia had become a lot more open since their time on her ship.

"What do you plan to do after the war ends?" Jia asked once they had quieted down.

"I don't know," Fives said thoughtfully. "I'm a clone. I was only made for fighting. Once the fighting is done… I don't think we're just going to be let loose on the galaxy."

"That would be a sight to see," Jia smiled at the mental picture of clones running wild around Coruscant. "I'm sure all the lonely females of this galaxy would love it."

"What do you mean?" Fives asked curiously. Jia raised an eyebrow.

"Haven't you noticed the way the ladies will look at you or Jax or Rex or Cody when we're out on jobs?" she asked, sounding surprised; like she had expected him to have seen everything she did. Fives shook his head and her eyes widened in shock. "They want nothing more than to get into bed with you guys."

"Oh," was all Fives said. Jia laughed quietly and shook her head.

"You guys are killing me," she groaned, but she was smiling. Fives chuckled and studied Jia as she turned on a data pad and started sifting through different information. Lylla had fixed up her hair, evening it up and trimming off the burnt ends. It now came to her shoulders and not her mid-back. It had become a little curlier now that it was shorter, making her look more innocent. Fives smiled to himself at the irony. Jia was anything but innocent, and yet the way she would act sometimes, or how she looked, said differently.

"What was your nightmare about?" he decided to ask again. Jia glanced up at him and then sighed, giving in.

"I don't really know. There were a lot of colors, but they were dark colors. Voices, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. And pain and fear," she told him. She looked at him, her blue eyes filled with a seriousness that made Fives's stomach clench up in fear. "Something terrible is going to happen. To one of us."

* * *

Jia unrolled the large computer screen and hooked her computer up to it. The team gathered in front of her and she took a deep breath. She knew there was going to be much opposition to her new plan, but it didn't matter. They had come too far to start back from square one.

"I want you all to remain silent and hear me out before you say _anything_," she started. Uneasy glances were exchanged. This could not be good. "We aren't starting over. True, our faces are now known by our mark, but we are taking this guy down. He is a bad dude, and he has information on where Ahsoka is being held.

"This time, we aren't going to be conmen. Some of us are going to be hackers, some thieves, the rest assassins. We're going in quick and hard. This time, you all will have permission to engage, but only if necessary.

"The hackers are going to be: Peixe, Ouro, Tenger, Jax, Wooley, and Lylla. The thieves are: Fives, Waxer, Boil, Zjarr, Havet, and Viz. The remaining people- Cody, Rex, Barriss, and me- will be the assassins.

"If this works, we will get done what we attempted to do with the con. It will not matter that our faces our known." Silence followed her little speech. Jax was the first to speak up.

"You're insane," he stated. Jia just shrugged. Everyone was taking her plan a lot better than she had expected.

"Any oppositions?" she asked when everyone else remained silent. They shook their heads. "Okay. Let's get ready."

* * *

Alarms blared and lights flashed. Second time in a row they had been caught infiltrating this mansion.

"Shit," Jia hissed. She slammed her latptop closed and jumped up.

"Oh, really?" Cody muttered, exasperated. "Again?"

"Your fault again?" Rex teased.

"Cut the chatter," Jia ordered. "Keep the line clean and clear."

"I need back-up," Rex said breathlessly.

"On my way," Jia said.

"Right behind you," Cody added. He slid under a closing door seconds before it was too late and then jumped up again.

"Almost to you," he heard Jia say.

"Don't come," Rex said suddenly.

"What?" Jia snapped. "Why?"

"Bomb," Rex said simply. Ignoring what he had said, Jia put on a burst of speed and ran around the corner into the hallway where Rex was frantically searching for cover.

"Rex," Jia called.

"I said not to come," Rex growled.

"I didn't listen," Jia said as she ran past him and grabbed his arm, pulling him with her.

"Obviously," Rex muttered. Jia shot a quick glance at the bomb. She estimated they had about thirty seconds. And then the red light on it blinked twice.

"Down," she yelled, throwing herself at Rex, slamming him into the wall. They curled up as the bomb went off.

"You couldn't follow my orders," she heard Rex mutter. She smiled a little at that and sat up. Burning pieces of metal and wood littered the hallway and there was a giant hole in the wall where the bomb had been. Cody ran into the hallway with his gun drawn, only to pull up to a short stop.

Jia stood up, using the wall as support while she waited for her spinning vision to stop. As soon as she put weight on her right leg, though, she let out an involuntary yelp of pain and fell against the wall. Looking down, she saw a twisted piece of metal sticking out of the side of her lower calf.

"Crap," she groaned. "This is really gonna slow us down."

"Then we need to get going and find Barriss," Cody said. Jia nodded and pushed herself off the wall. Expecting the pain this time, she locked her jaw and slowly put weight onto her right leg again.

"Okay; let's go," she hissed out through her clenched teeth. Slowly, but surely, they made their way to the exit. Many times, Rex and Cody offered Jia help, but she stubbornly refused every time, set on getting to the Healer and out of the mansion without any aid from the two clones.

Her phone beeped twice and she pulled it out of her bag. She groaned quietly and stopped walking.

"We need to find another way through the castle and out of it," she said with a sigh. "Everything seems to be covered by armed guards."

"Really?" Cody ground out.

"Come on, this way," Jia said, ignoring Cody and leading them through a door. Behind the door were stairs, covered in dust and cobwebs.

"What is this?" Rex asked quietly as they crept up the stairs.

"All mansions have passageways for the maids and butlers and what-not," Jia explained as they crept. "Some are still used, but most, like these, are just left alone and ignored. They serve as perfect getaway routes because the owners rarely ever know where the entrances and exits are, and when they do, they never use them."

"And how exactly do you know about this?" Cody hissed.

"Assassins don't always do their dirty work from long distance, you know," Jia said, looking pointedly at him. "Where do you think I learned how to run games on people?"

"So you're saying you have conned your way into a mansion and then killed the owner and then made your escape through the servant stairways?" Cody asked incredulously.

"I poisoned his food," Jia said with a small smile. "He deserved it. He had killed his wife. And then his son's wife. And then his son. And last, his granddaughter. She had just graduated from high school. Had a scholarship to one of the top schools in the country. Planning to join the Peace Corp. And her granddaddy just took all that away."

"How did he kill her?" Rex asked curiously.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I think he had one of goons kill her with blunt force trauma to the head," Jia said. At the mildly confused looks she was getting, she added, "He had her killed by having someone hit her really hard in the head."

"Oh," Rex said. They walked the rest of the way in silence, Jia lost in her memories and Cody and Rex waiting for her to go into shock or pass out.

"We need to stop real quick," Jia said suddenly, sitting down on the steps.

"Why?" Cody asked impatiently.

"I can feel the blood on my leg. My pants will soak up some of it, but I need to wrap it as best I can otherwise I'll leave a blood trail, which is not good," she explained in one breath.

She took out her knife, flipped out the scissors, and started cutting a strip of fabric off of her shirt sleeve.

"Want one of us to wrap it?" Cody offered. Jia was about to snap no at him, but then decided that she should probably start accepting help, especially since she was leading a team. She relented with a nod and handed Cody the piece of fabric. She leaned her head back between her shoulders and closed her eyes, forcing her leg to be still even though the now-over-sensitive nerves were firing off pain signals erratically.

"Okay," Cody said after a couple minutes. He stood back up and held out a hand to Jia. She accepted and he pulled her up from the ground.

"We really need to get going," she said, starting up the stairs again at a much faster pace. The two clones followed her without questions. They came to another door that was slanted and opened it.

The three of them stepped out onto the roof of the mansion, squinting and leaning into the strong winds.

"There's no way we'll be able to use the 'chutes," Jia yelled. "It's too windy."

"And repelling is out of question," Cody sighed. "We would just be swinging around on the cables."

Jia sat on the edge of the roof, her legs dangling down, chewing her lip in thought. She stared down at the ground. It was about one-hundred-ten feet down from what she could tell. She sighed. Everything had been going so well, even with their identity being discovered. Then she remembered that they still had to get Barriss.

"We forgot someone," she called, standing back up.

"Barriss," Cody gasped. They scrambled back down the stairwell.

"Barriss, why didn't you tell us we forgot you?" Jia asked the Healer via earbud. There wasn't an answer. "Barriss, come in." Again, silence. "Barriss, do you copy?" The voice that answered, though, wasn't Barriss's.

"So, you once again attempt to get the better of me?" Cody recognized it as their mark's voice. "I have to commend you for your perseverance, but this time you will not get away."

"How much you wanna bet?" Jia snarled, trying to keep the mark talking. As long as he was talking into the earbud, he wouldn't put it offline and she could track it. The man laughed.

"You are a feisty one," he commented. "Why don't you stay where you are so I can talk to you face-to-face?"

"Or," Jia said, as her phone found the location of Barriss's earbud. It was in a room that was twenty feet away from them. Jia signaled to the clones where the signal was coming from, and then silently told them that she was going alone. "You stay where you are and I come find you."

"I like my idea better," the mark said. And then Jia busted down the door.

"Found you," she said smugly. Barriss was in one corner of the room, bound and gagged. She shook her head frantically at Jia, trying to tell her to escape while she could. The assassin chose to ignore her.

"Well, well," the mark said, applauding slowly. "You are a very smart girl."

And then all hell broke loose. Jia was attacked by more people than she could count. She managed to keep them off for a couple minutes, but then she was hit in the back of the leg and she buckled and fell onto her knees. Before she could get up, or even move, the guards grabbed her firmly and pulled her into a standing position. They quickly bound her legs together and two guards, one on either side, grasped her arms and forced her to be still.

"Such skill for one so young," the mark murmured. He leaned in close to Jia and she leaned forward, attempting to bite his nose. The man leapt back, and then chuckled. "You should stay still, or I will hurt your friend here."

Jia became still, breathing heavily and glaring at the mark. The man nodded in approval and then pulled Barriss from the corner. He pulled out a shock whip, and Barriss's eyes widened in fear. Jia didn't know what it was, but didn't like the look of it. The mark activated the whip and hit Barriss with it. Her cry was muffled by the gag, but Jia still heard it.

She closed her eyes and let the sound of the Healer's pain get to her. She knew it would automatically make her angry, which would give her another adrenaline rush. It took about thirty seconds and then, with a fierce battle cry, Jia yanked her arms out of the guard's grasp. It took them by surprise since they had been watching their master whip the Jedi.

Jia reached for the first weapon she could find, which was Barriss's lightsaber. She slashed through the two guards that had been holding her, killing them instantly.

Barriss and the mark watched in horror at the damage Jia caused with the lightsaber, ridding the room of the original guards within a minute. But more guards poured through the doorway. Barriss knew that even with her anger and the lightsaber, Jia would eventually be overpowered and killed. She also knew there was only one way she could protect her friends.

She pictured the gag stretching and then falling out of her mouth completely, willing the Force to do what she imagined. As soon as she could speak she called to Jia.

"Jia, stop!" she cried. But Jia was hacking and slashing like a mad man, and it was obvious she wasn't just going to "stop." It was going to take something to force her to stop. Barriss's order caused her to pause, though, and her momentary standstill was all the fresh guards needed. They charged at Jia and Barriss.

The mark had disappeared again, but Jia's main concern was getting Barriss out alive. The clones had reported a couple moments ago that they were clear of the mansion. Now she only had to get the Healer out. And she was determined to do so… or die trying.

With her momentarily distracted, the guards easily overpowered her. They snatched the lightsaber and hit her a couple times with the shock whip, causing her to fall to her knees again and sink to the ground, unconscious.

With Jia down for the count, the guards turned on Barriss, also striking the Healer with the whip. She forced herself not to make a sound, knowing it might possibly wake Jia up and cause her to go crazy again. Once they were sure she was under control, the guards hoisted Barriss up and started dragging her down the hall.

Jia came back to consciousness just in time to see the guards take Barriss out of the room.

"No!" she cried, scrambling after them, despite the fact that she was weaponless, had no back-up, and was still half-unconscious.

"Jia, no!" Barriss yelled. "Don't do it. You'll get yourself killed!" Jia just ground her teeth and ran after the guards. With one last attempt to save her extremely brave, but extremely stupid friend, Barriss sent out a strong Force-push that sent Jia flying a hundred feet back.

By the time she got back onto her feet, Barriss was gone.

"Jia, _what is going on in there_?" Cody buzzed in. Jia was silent, staring down the hallway where Barriss had disappeared. "Jia, do you copy?" Cody asked. Jia could tell he was worried.

"Charge up the ship and come get me from the roof," she mumbled into her earbud. She found the stairwell again and climbed up it, completely drained of energy. By the time she got to the roof, her ship was there.

"Where's Barriss?" Cody asked as Jia stumbled up the ramp, past him and into her ship.

"Just get us out of here," she ordered. "I want to get away from this mansion. I want to get away from this planet."

"We're not leaving without Barriss," Cody insisted. Jia just turned sad, broken eyes on him, and for the first time he noticed what a mess she was. Well, more of a mess than when he and Rex left her.

Her clothes were torn and scorched, she had burn marks across her back and on her arms, her hair had come out of the braid and was sticking up every which way. The make-shift bandage around her calf was dripping blood down her leg and her arm was twisted at an odd angle.

"I'm so sorry," he heard her apologize for the first time. "Barriss is gone."

* * *

_Now that's two Jedi Jia has to rescue. Poor Barriss. Poor Cody. Just when things had started going well for them. Next chapter, the team heads back to Coruscant to report this, ah, setback in the resuce mission. The Jedi Council isn't going to be too happy with Jia. Anyways, let me know what you think!_


	48. Alone

**Alone**

Jax watched Lylla as she paced the living slowly, gently bouncing Ciri in her arms. She glanced over at him and attempted to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. Jax just blinked.

He had no idea where in space they were, or where they were going, but he didn't really care. It didn't matter where they were going. Everyone had a sense that they had been beaten, and it wasn't helped by the fact that Jia had locked herself in the cockpit and was refusing to come out or let anyone in, or even talk to anyone through the door.

Cody and Rex had disappeared into the workout room, joined by some of the other clones. Jax hadn't really been keeping tabs on anyone except Lylla, Ciri, and Jia.

He checked the chrono for about the hundredth time. It was only thirty minutes after they had picked up Jia and left the planet. No one had spoken a single word during the last half-hour; even Ciri was remaining silent, as if she could sense that everyone was in pain.

Lylla came to sit next to Jax, and he draped one arm over her shoulders. She had built up some muscle during the mission, so she wasn't as anorexic-looking as before; and Jax liked it.

Ciri reached up a tiny hand and rested it against Jax's cheek. He placed a hand over hers and leaned into it. Lylla rubbed his leg, but it wasn't in a sexual way, it was in a soothing, comforting way.

"Barriss knew what she was doing," she said quietly. They had pulled up at video feeds from the security cameras inside the mansion when Jia had refused to say anything to them, and had seen the entire fight.

Jax sighed and shifted slightly, accidentally dislodging Ciri's hand from his face. He looked over at Lylla and found her looking at him with her beautiful brown eyes. She seemed to want to reach out to comfort him, but was scared she was going to be pushed away.

Jax sighed again and pulled her into him. He took one of Ciri's hands and then placed his hand in Lylla's, so Ciri's hand was in between their's. Lylla let out a silent sigh of relief and rested her head on his chest.

"Do you think maybe she was pushed too hard to be like us? To not be a Jedi?" Jax asked the question that had been bothering him for a while.

"Accidents happen," Lylla said, looking up at him and placing a hand on his cheek. "Some are worse than others and sometimes that's just… hard."

Jax looked towards the cockpit.

"I just feel like I could have done more. Like I'm responsible for what happened. Like it's my fault," he said after a moment.

"Hey, look at me," Lylla pleaded. Jax slowly turned his head so he was once again staring into her deep brown eyes. "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."

"Whose fault is it, then?" Jax snapped. Lylla started and scooted a little ways away, but didn't get up; Jax felt bereft where Lylla had been moments ago, but he was too upset to worry about it at the moment.

"It's no one's _fault_. We all did what we were told to do. We all followed orders. Sometimes, though, whether we follow the orders or break them, we don't win," Lylla kept her voice soft and soothing, not letting Jax's temper get to her. "And you feel responsible because you're a good person. You know what's right and what's wrong. You aren't just a wet droid."

Jax scooted close to Lylla, closing the space between them, not liking how he felt like there was a sudden wall separating them.

"How do you think Jia's doing?" he asked after a moment. He was never going to admit it to anybody, but he loved Jia as if she had been born his little sister; and he felt the need to protect against anything and everything that might hurt her.

"She's strong," Lylla answered after a moment. "She'll get through it, and she'll be even more bloodthirsty than before." Jax cracked a smile and Lylla grinned triumphantly up at him. Ciri looked back and forth between her parents, and then stood up right as they leaned in for a kiss, so they both ended up kissing her. She let out a happy squeal and clapped, and then fell back down onto her little bottom.

Lylla and Jax both laughed, and Jax grabbed Ciri. He stood up and swung her around in the air, while she squealed and laughed excitedly. Jax laughed and pulled her close into his chest, cradling the baby to his body, while she blinked up at him with her glowing silver eyes.

"Dada," she stated, pointing up at him. "Dada, Dada, Dada, Dada," she sang quietly. "Dada, Dada, Dada."

Lylla covered her mouth with her hands and turned happily surprised eyes on Jax.

"Her first words," she whispered, while Ciri continued singing her "Dada" song. "And she knows who you are. Jax, she knows who her dad is." Jax tucked Ciri under one arm and then pulled Lylla up off the sofa. One of their main concerns had been that Ciri wouldn't ever learn who her father was because Jax was going to be off fighting.

"Dada, Dada, Dada, Dada, Dada," Ciri started singing a little louder, and both her parents laughed. She smiled and continued singing, only knowing that when she sang "Dada," her parents were happy again.

* * *

Jia bit her lip, trying to force back the tears, without much luck. Barriss was gone, and it was her fault. Another Jedi had been taken, and again, she had played a part in that. She felt the need to hit, break, smash, etc. something, _anything_, but she knew Cody would probably be in the workout room and she couldn't face him at the moment.

Even if he wasn't mad at her, she still felt like it was her fault. There was a knock on the door, followed by Rex's voice.

"Jia, come on and talk to us," he pleaded. Jia just threw a flare at the door. It made a loud _bang_ that echoed around the cockpit.

"Come on, you've got as all worried," this time it was Lylla. _No, I don't. Only a few of you are worried. A Jedi has been kidnapped because of me before. I know how angry you all get,_ Jia mentally snapped, but she remained silent.

She wasn't in the mood to talk to anybody. She just wanted to be left alone. She knew Jax would get the message, and was counting on him to relay it to the others. Finally, she heard his voice.

"Guys, let her be. She's not coming out, she's not letting us in, and apparently she's not saying anything."

_Thank you_, Jia sighed. She had set course for the nearest Republic frigate she could find. It was time she took her team home. She knew questions would be asked, but she was ready to answer them. Everyone needed a break. From each other, from the ship, from the mission.

She remembered what Barriss told her before the first attempt to get the information: _"Don't judge us too harshly. We do what we think is best."_

"Yeah, so do I," Jia muttered to herself, a new plan already forming in her mind. "So do I."

* * *

"You are not cleared for landing," a clone's voice buzzed through Jia's ship's communicator. "Identify."

"I'll "identify" if I want to," Jia muttered, ignoring the order and flying straight into the hangar. She heard alarms start going off. They thought she was one of the bad guys. _And maybe I am…_ The thought didn't help her to feel any better.

"Stand down," she called lackadaisically as she walked slowly down the ramp of her ship. "I'm an old friend, and I brought along some people I think you might like to see." The clones slowly lowered their guns and stood up straight.

"Jia?" one asked, almost hesitantly. Jia nodded once, confirming it was her. She didn't know how different she looked from the way the clones remembered her, but she bet it was very different. Her hair was shorter, she wasn't as cocky or confident as before, and she hadn't bothered to get her injuries treated once she got back onto the ship.

Jax, Cody, and Rex followed her down the ramp, everyone else trailing out after them. A clone in striped blue armor stepped forward from the defensive circle the 501st had formed, and Jia recognized him as Commander Appo.

"Who are you?" he asked, almost scornfully. Jia just ignored him and started to walk past him, but he held out an arm, blocking her. "I want an answer," he growled. Jia, who had been looking down at the floor, raised her head, her eyes burning with blue fire. The rest of the clones took a step back, knowing what was coming, but also curious to how the fight would turn out.

"Look, Apple," Jia said in a tight voice. She grabbed his hand and bent his fingers back at an impossible angle. "I've just been whipped, been almost blown up, had my shoulder pulled out of place, and I had to watch one of my very good friends get kidnapped. On top of that, I have to face a few Jedi that are going to be very upset with me. So I am _not_ in the mood to deal with your mess."

"I am not allowing you past unless you identify yourself," Appo ground out, not willing to back down. Jia raised her eyebrows.

"You're not allowing me?" she repeated. She nodded slowly, and then brought Appo's head down hard against her knee. As he fell, she kicked him in the stomach. Hard. "Like I said, I'm not in the mood."

With that, she stalked past the Commander and past the other clones. Jax rolled his eyes and shared an exasperated glance with Rex. Jia was never going to make friends acting like that.

Jia walked slowly down the hallways of the ship, ignoring the surprised glances she got. She didn't pay attention to where she was going until she ran into Anakin.

"Jia?" he asked, clearly shocked.

"Hi, Anakin," Jia said tiredly.

"What's wrong with you?" Anakin asked. Jia just shook her head.

"There's a group of clones in the hangar, with one civilian who has a baby with her," she told him. "Get them quarters and food. I need some time to be alone."

"Right," Anakin said, watching her curiously as she walked away. He decided he would send Kix to check on her as soon as he was done dealing with whatever group she had left him to deal with.

* * *

Jia sat in some empty quarters and stared down at her hands, not moving, barely breathing. Another Jedi had been taken and it was her fault. _Again._ She just kept bringing harm to the people she was trying to help. She looked up when she heard the door slide open. Kix stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the light in the hallway.

Jia just stared at him, not even blinking.

"I came to check on you," Kix said finally. Jia blinked once, but remained silent. Kix stepped into the room and closed the door. Jia tracked his movements, staying quiet the entire time. Kix stood with his arms crossed over his chest and held Jia's gaze. He was waiting for her to move, do, say something. Anything that would indicate she was okay.

Suddenly, Jia stood up, hugging herself tightly and limped (she still hadn't gotten any of her injuries taken care of) to Kix.

"It's my fault," she whispered, resting her head on his chest. Kix wrapped his arms around her and held her close against his body.

"Commander Offee knew the risks," Kix said quietly, running a hand down her now-shortened hair. His words did nothing to pacify Jia. Instead, it seemed to make it worse. She curled her arms tightly to her chest and her shoulders started shaking. It took Kix a minute to realize she was crying, her sobs muffled by his chest.

"Shh, shh, don't cry," Kix said, at a loss for anything better. Jia just pressed herself tighter against him. Kix remained quiet: everything he said seemed to make things worse.

"They're out there somewhere, being tortured and slowly dying," Jia sniffled. "And it's all my fault." She looked up at Kix, her eyes wide and haunted. "They're dying, Kix!"

"Don't blame yourself," Kix reprimanded gently, tucking her head under his chin. "It's not your fault."

"But it is," Jia argued with him. Kix didn't respond, just continued stroking her hair with slow, soothing movements.

"You did your best," he said at last. Jia looked up at him, her face tear-streaked.

"It wasn't enough, though," she said. "It never has been. My best only hurts the people I love." Kix knew she wasn't just talking about the missing Jedi.

"There is a reason Commander Offee didn't let you save her," Kix, too, had seen the footage of the fight. "You just have to figure it out."

"I know why," Jia said miserably. "She thinks I'm going to be able to save Ahsoka and protect Ciri. She thinks I might be the "Chosen One" that brings balance to the Force. She told me so."

"Why would she think that?" it came out much ruder than Kix had intended, but Jia didn't seem to hear the tone of his voice.

"Because I'm a natural contrast," she muttered. "Apparently my Force aura is "swirled" with black and white. It's not just one color. I didn't know aura's even had colors." Kix thought about that. He had to admit, the Healer was right about the "natural contrast" part, but he wasn't so sure about the rest.

"Well, then honor what she did and go save Ahsoka," he said. Jia sniffled again and nodded slowly.

"Kix, I'm going to need you to do something for me, though," she said. He saw her mind was furiously working, the way it did when she was planning something, and was relieved that at least that part of her was back.

"Anything," he promised.

"I need you to get a group of clones, pilots maybe, and I need you to do something to every ship so it disables them temporarily," she told him. "Every ship except mine. And don't let _anybody _know you're doing this, except the clones helping you, and why. The Jedi can't know, Lylla can't know, Rex, Cody, Jax; none of them can know. Got that?" Kix eyed her suspiciously, but nodded. Jia breathed a sigh of relief.

"But, before I do that, you're going to let me treat your injuries," he said. Jia's eyes widened and she shook her head. Kix sighed. "I know what you're doing. You're punishing yourself. You're purposely not getting your wounds treated because you feel like you deserve the pain." Jia looked down sheepishly. "If you don't let me, I'll go tell everyone right now what you just asked me to do." Jia looked up with wide eyes.

"No, please don't," she pleaded.

"Then let me treat your injuries," Kix said. Jia sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I can't stand you," she muttered. Kix took that as "fine, you can go ahead with your medic-y stuff." He smiled and shook his head slightly.

Jia stretched out on the bunk and closed her eyes. Within moments, she was asleep. Kix watched her sleep for a moment. She looked so young and peaceful when she was asleep. Like for once, there wasn't something bothering her. There wasn't someone else she wanted to kill, or a friend she needed to rescue.

"You're crazy, you know that?" he asked her quietly. Her eyes fluttered open slightly.

"Mm-hmm," she agreed sleepily. Kix's shoulder shook with silent laughter as he started to clean her wounds. "Stop laughing, you're shaking the bed," Jia grumbled, mostly asleep.

"Anything else you need to complain about?" Kix asked, amused.

"The medicine stings," Jia mumbled. "Don't use it." Kix just rolled his eyes.

* * *

Jia stood in front of the Jedi Council and Chancellor Palpatine. The search team was standing a respectful distance off the side, and Anakin was directly behind her.

"What do you mean "you lost Padawan Offee"?" Windu growled.

"Barriss Offee has been kidnapped and taken prisoner," Jia elaborated. The Council exchanged glances.

"Are you certain she has not been killed?" Obi-wan asked. Jia glanced at Luminara, who took the hint.

"My Padawan is not dead. I would be able to tell. Much like Skywalker knows Padawan Tano is still alive," she said in her quiet voice.

"Barely," Anakin muttered. Jia stepped hard on his left foot and he let out a startled squeak of pain.

"I knew this mission was a bad idea from the start," Palpatine said. Jia narrowed her eyes at him.

"No you didn't, you old liar," she snapped. Everyone gasped, and Palpatine's eyes got dangerously narrow, he lips starting to lift up in a silent snarl. Jia rolled her eyes. "You might scare the clones, and your precious Senators, maybe even the Jedi, but you don't scare me, so save the ugly looks for someone they work one," she scoffed.

"I would be careful, if I were you," Palpatine said in a warning voice.

"Sixty-six," Jia told him, and his eyes went wide. She nodded, smirking victoriously. "See, Chancellor, you should be the one being careful."

"Sixty-six," Lylla muttered. She stretched up to whisper in Jax's ear, "What does she mean by "sixty-six"?" Jax just shook his head. He was surprised Jia knew about the contingency orders, and even more surprised that she hadn't told anyone about them.

"So, what do you want now, youngling?" Windy asked, annoyed that he didn't understand the conversation Jia was having with the Chancellor. Jia glanced back at the group of people she had dragged along on the search mission with her. Jax met her gaze, and took a step forward. He figured she was going to tell the Council she was going to resume searching and take them along with her. So, he was surprised when her answer was different.

"I'm going to continue," Jia said, her voice even and steady. "Alone." Now Kix, who was standing in the shadows, watching the entire thing with interest, understood why she had had him disable all the ships.

"_What_?" Lylla cried. "You're kidding me!"

"Jia, that might not be for the best-," Rex tried to reason with her.

"I am going to continue searching for the missing Jedi," Cody snarled through clenched teeth.

"That's not fair!" Ouro protested. Many more outbursts followed, and not even Palpatine could quiet them. Jia let them burn off some steam.

"Enough!" she shouted after a couple minutes. They immediately fell silent, still used to her being the leader. "I am going alone. I am tracking alone. And if someone is to get hurt, kidnapped, or killed, it will be me, and only me."

"I'm not opposed to this idea," Anakin muttered playfully. Jia stepped hard on his foot again. "You're gonna break my toes if you keep doing that," Anakin grumbled. Jia ignored him.

"You feel responsible," Jax accused Jia.

"I am responsible," she spat at him.

"Jia, it's not your fault," Lylla said quietly, not wanting to get Ciri worked up. "We know what happened. Barriss didn't let you rescue her. She pushed you back."

"I could have done more!" Jia snapped. "I could have held her back at the ship, I could have made her a part of a different team. I put her in the position that got her kidnapped. Therefore, it's my fault."

"Don't do this, Jia," Viz pleaded, taking a step towards her. "It's a suicide mission on your own. Remember how on some of the jobs, the only reason we all survived was because we had each other to rely on?"

"Viz is right," Zjarr spoke up. "And you said it yourself: we weren't always going to win."

"But we were never going to quit," Lylla finished.

"You aren't quitting," Jia said, taking a deep breath. "I'm firing you." More cries of protest followed her statement, but she silenced them with one harsh glare.

"Jia, listen," Jax spoke quietly to her. "There is no way you can survive for very long on your own. Viz is right; this is a suicide mission."

"Do you all remember the rules I gave you when we first started. When we were all gathered together the first time?" Jia asked, speaking to the entire group. Worried glances were exchanged: they all remembered _exactly_ the rule they knew she was going to bring up.

"Jia, this is different," Tenger protested. Jia ignored.

"Do you remember?" Jia repeated her question.

"Yes," they all muttered.

"Those rules no longer apply, since we aren't a team, anymore, though," Fives pointed out.

"They still apply to me," Jia growled.

"Jiana Sasha White, listen to me," Lylla snapped. Jia paused and turned surprised eyes on the young mother. "Listen to all of us. The clones aren't lying when they say this is a suicide mission. It is one! You'll most likely be killed!" Jia nodded slowly and raised her eyebrows in a non-questioning way.

"Than good thing," she retorted in an even voice, "one of the rules is that I die trying."


	49. Don't Turn Around

**Don't Turn Around**

Jia looked around at the group gathered in front of her.

"You guys were amazing. I owe most of you my life by this point. Thank you," she said, nodding her thanks.

"Jia, please…," Lylla begged quietly, trailing off when Jia turned cold eyes on her.

"Do me a favor?" the assassin asked after a moment, her eyes softening. Lylla nodded. "Take Ciri to the Jedi Temple. She will be safe." Barriss had told Jia about Ciri's Force-sensitiveness during their "serious talk."

"Why- why do you want me to take her to the Temple?" Lylla stuttered.

"I think you know why," Jia said quietly. Lylla nodded and leaned into Jax, struggling not to cry. Jia turned her attention to the rest of the group. "You've helped people in more ways than you will ever know. Don't forget that." With that, she turned to walk onto her ship, but Rex placed his hand on her shoulder. She paused and turned around.

"I have a question," he told her. She nodded, waiting for him to continue. "What were you planning to do to Ahsoka when you asked me how to forge a lightsaber?" Jia smiled a little and looked down sheepishly.

"I was gonna switch it out with one of her real ones during one of her practices. It was gonna explode confetti or glitter or something when she tried to activate it," she explained. Rex smiled and nodded, and then stepped back. Jia looked over the group of clones and Lylla one last time then turned around. She took a deep breath and continued up the ramp, not looking back.

* * *

_One month later…_

Jia sauntered into a workshop that sold replacement parts for ships. She had had a run-in with some smugglers and her shield generator had been slightly damaged. The place was empty except for a deactivated droid that stared at her with blank, unseeing eyes.

"Hello?" she called into the back of the store, placing her hand on the gun that was at her hip. She took a few cautious steps further into the store, looking around.

"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing," a rough, scratchy voice said from behind her. Jia spun around, her gun aimed at the center of the being's forehead. He jumped back slightly and looked at her with wide eyes. Jia slowly lowered her gun and looked at him curiously.

"What _in the hell_ are you?" she asked finally. The thing looked scandalized.

"A Dug," he said as if it should be obvious. Jia just nodded her head, still not sure what to make of the thing.

"Alright, well I need a shield generator," she said, diving right in, wanting to get out of the strange store with the strange thing.

"For what type of ship?" the Dug asked. Jia brought up an image of her ship and showed it to the Dug. "Hmm, yes, well, that ship is very rare."

"Do you have the part I need?" Jia asked irritably.

"Yes, yes, of course, but it is very expensive," the Dug told her.

"How much?" Jia asked. The Dug looked at her appreciatively.

"One or two nights with-," Jia cut him off with her gun to his forehead again.

"Try that again," she advised in a dangerous tone.

"Two-hundred thousand credits," the Dug gulped. "But I need the physical money, no bank transactions." Jia grimaced. She didn't even have a hundred credits in cash.

"Right," she said, turning around and slowly walking out of the store, her gun still trained on the Dug. "I'll be back." Once she was out of the store, she holstered her weapon and sighed. She didn't have any idea how she was going to pay for the shield generator, and she wasn't going anywhere without getting it replaced.

She wandered the crowded streets of the city she had landed in for a little while, thinking, until she accidentally stumbled into someone. Looking up, she saw it was a lady, maybe twenty-three or twenty-four.

"Oh, excuse me," she said politely.

"It's fine, honey," the lady spoke with what Jia would call a country accent. She didn't know what it would be called on this planet. "You ain't from 'round here, are you?"

"No, ma'am," Jia said, itching to get away. She didn't have any time for delays. The woman studied her for a moment and then smiled.

"Come with me, honey, I want you to meet someone," she said, gently pushing Jia towards the entrance to a building. Jia sighed, but went with the lady, not really wanting to cause any trouble with the locals.

The lady led Jia into the building, and Jia recognized what type of building it was right away.

"Is this a saloon?" she asked, wanting confirmation for what she already knew. The lady looked surprised, and then she smiled again.

"Yes, the boss will really like you," she murmured to herself. Jia started becoming suspicious, but continued following the lady into the back of the saloon. In the back room was a man in a black suit, smoking a cigar.

"Christy, I told you no new people," he said without a preamble.

"Look at her," Christy insisted, shoving Jia into the dim lighting of the room. The man with the cigar walked towards Jia and leaned down to study her.

"Very pretty blue eyes," he said after a minute. He stood up straight and turned to Christy. "Can she sing?"

"Yes, I can," Jia interrupted the conversation. "Boss" nodded and smiled.

"So, what's your name, sweetheart?" he asked. Jia spouted the first name that came to mind.

"Kitty," she said, flashing a flirty smile. Boss nodded again and took a step back to study the strange girl Christy had brought him. She wore dark cargo pants tucked into worn combat boots. She had on a tank top and a black leather jacket, and he could tell she had at least three concealed weapons on her. He got the impression she was a lot more dangerous than she was letting on.

"I take it you know how to impress a crowd, Kitty," Boss said.

"Of course," Jia said, biting her lip and looking at Boss from under her eyebrows, just to prove her point. Boss nodded for a third time.

"Be back here by sunset," he told her after a moment. "You have a job." Jia smiled, not because she had a job, but because she had a way to get the money needed for the shield generator.

* * *

Jia studied her reflection in the mirror. She was back on her ship, getting ready for her first night of "work." She had pulled out one her old aliases and set it up. Old meaning from when she was with Red and Eagle. "Kitty" was the pseudonym she had used when they had infiltrated the bar and grill where Jia had met "Zach." She had also used it on the three week mission to steal something for Wolffe; the mission she had killed "Zach."

Jia spent a good part of the afternoon curling her hair. "Kitty" was supposed to be country chic and sexy. Jia couldn't pull that off without the curled hair. She changed into a blue, layered skirt that came to her mid-thighs and a tight, grey, button-down shirt. She quickly polished some brown cowboy boots and slipped them on. Big, gold loop earrings and a gold necklace, with mascara, eyeliner, and smoky eyeshadow completed the look.

Jia got the music she needed on her laptop and then found a purse big enough to fit her laptop into. She also put some back-up weapons, an extra change of clothes, her phone, and some make-up into her purse. She took a deep breath and smiled. She could pull this off. All she had to do was pretend that Eagle and Red were out in the crowd watching her, Red smiling and winking, Eagle studying her with his intense, thoughtful gaze.

"Right, okay," she said to air. She had taken to talking to herself in her empty ship to fill the silence. "Time to go."

She walked the few blocks to the saloon and slipped through the doors unnoticed. Christy was up on the stage, singing and swinging her hips seductively, and Jia nodded in greeting at her. She found Boss in the back room again, and knocked on the door, startling him.

"Ahh, excellent, you're here, Kitty," he said, taking a puff of his cigar. Seeing the cigar made bittersweet memories well up inside Jia; her dad used to like smoking cigars with his friends every once in a while.

"Just tell me what do to," she told him, mentally shaking off the memories.

"Christy ends her shift in five minutes. You go up on that stage and do your thing. How much the crowd likes you determines how much you get paid," Boss explained in one breath. Jia nodded.

"Alright," she said. She exited the back room and walked around so she was behind the stage. She quickly set up her laptop and hooked it up to the sound system just as Christy finished her last song. She gave a little bow and the people there clapped politely.

"Good luck," she whispered to Jia as she passed her. Jia smiled.

"Thanks," she whispered back. Boss got up on stage and tapped the microphone to get everyone's attention.

"And now, for the first time is a sweet young lady named Kitty," he announced. Polite applause followed and Boss beamed down at Jia. She sighed and rolled her eyes. She could tell Boss was a full tale diva. She walked delicately up onto the stage and took the microphone from Boss. She looked out over the group of people, imagining she could see Red and Eagle mixed in with the group. And then the music played.

"_I told you on the day we wed  
I was gonna love you 'til I's dead  
Made you wait 'til our wedding night  
That's the first and the last time I'll wear white_

So if the ties that bind ever do come loose  
Tie 'em in a knot like a hangman's noose  
Cause I'll go to heaven or I'll go to hell  
Before I'll see you with someone else

_Put me in the ground_  
_Put me six foot down_  
_And let the stone say:_

_"Here lies the girl whose only crutch_  
_Was loving one man just a little too much"_  
_If you go before I do_  
_I'm gonna tell the gravedigger that he better dig two."_

A quick instrumental interval came on and Jia saw that she had the group's attention. They were all watching her, almost like they didn't want to miss anything.

_"Well, it won't be whiskey, won't be meth_  
_It'll be your name on my last breath_  
_If divorce or death ever do us part_  
_The coroner will call it a broken heart_

_So put me in the ground_  
_Put me six foot down_  
_And let the stone say:_

_"Here lies the girl whose only crutch_  
_Was loving one man just a little too much"_  
_If you go before I do_  
_I'm gonna tell the gravedigger that he better dig two_

_Dig two_  
_Ooh, ooh."_

The music tempo slowed a little, Jia's favorite part of the song.

"_I took your name when I took those vows  
I meant 'em back then and I mean 'em right now,  
Oh, right now_

_If the ties that bind ever do come loose_  
_If "forever" ever ends for you_  
_If that ring gets a little too tight_  
_You might as well read me my last rites."_

_The speed picked back up and Jia smiled, letting herself get completely lost in the music._

_"And let the stone say:_

_"Here lies the girl whose only crutch_  
_Was loving one man just a little too much"_  
_If you go before I do_  
_Gonna tell the gravedigger that he better dig, uh!_

_Heavy stone right next to mine,_  
_We'll be together 'til the end of time_  
_Don't you go before I do,_  
_I'm gonna tell the gravedigger that he better dig two_

_I told you on the day we wed_  
_I was gonna love you 'til I's dead."_

The saloon erupted into genuine applause, and some people whistled. Jia smiled happily and waited for the next song to come on.

"_That don't make me a bad guy  
It don't scar my resume  
Don't you give me the black eye  
Judging by my day to day  
Easy to love and hard to keep  
Let it dance on the wild side  
I'm only good as I gotta be  
Yeah that don't make me a bad guy_

_Chiva whiskey in a paper cup_  
_Catch a buzz and I sober up_  
_Comin' down with a pot-a-Joe_  
_Sleep it off and away I go_  
_Runnin hard til the money's gone_  
_Half a day and all night long_  
_Get a girl with my Romeo_  
_Yeah love a while then it's adios_

_That don't make me a bad guy_  
_It don't scar my resume_  
_Don't you give me the black eye_  
_Judging by my day to day_  
_Easy to love and hard to keep_  
_Let 'er dance on the wild side_  
_I'm only good as I gotta be_  
_Yeah that don't make me a bad guy."_

Jia smiled and started dancing a little. This used to be one of her favorite songs when she was younger. She remembered the blue truck her dad used to have. They would drive down the back country roads and sing along to Toby Keith.

_"Yeah like a man I go to work_  
_Feel clean in my dirty shirt_  
_Ain't got a lot but I really try_  
_I've gotten good at gettin' by_  
_I'm a son of my daddy's name_  
_Yeah mama's proud and everything_  
_When it's time to make some noise_  
_Boys will be boys_

_That don't make me a bad guy_  
_It don't scar my resume_  
_Don't you give me the black eye_  
_Judging by my day to day_  
_Easy to love and hard to keep_  
_Let 'er dance on the wild side_  
_I'm only good as I gotta be_  
_Yeah that don't make me a bad guy_

_Villain or an outlaw_  
_I might kiss yer girl_  
_Or catch you with a south paw ain't_  
_Dangerous, cantankerous maybe_  
_Just lookin' for a real good time_  
_Yeah a real good time_

_Yeah_

_That don't make me a bad guy_  
_It don't scar my resume_  
_Don't you give me the black eye_  
_Call me some kinda renegade_  
_Easy to love and hard to keep_  
_Let 'er dance on the wild side_  
_I'm only good as I gotta be_  
_Yeah that don't make me a bad guy_

_I'm only good as I gotta be_  
_That don't make me a bad guy."_

Jia smiled again and listened to the applause as she dove right into the next song. Maybe this job wouldn't be too bad.

* * *

Jia counted the credits she had earned five nights later. She was up to fifty-thousand, earning ten-thousand a night. According to Boss, business was booming because she was such a big hit.

"Hey, honey," Christy said, joining Jia in the back room. "How are you liking it so far?" Jia looked up and smiled.

"I like it; it's nice," she said. "Very relaxing." Christy laughed.

"You think getting up in front of a huge group and singing new songs ever night is relaxing?" she asked. She didn't wait for Jia to answer. "You are one strange girl."

Jia nodded her head once in consent.

"You're right, I am," she said. Christy just laughed again.

"Well, I'm clocking out for the night," she said. "Boss might need more help cleaning up. 'Night, Kitty."

"'Night, Christy," Jia called to her as the older singer left. A couple minutes later, Boss appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, Kitty, I'm leaving," he announced. He tossed her the keys. "Lock this place up when you leave."

"'Kay," Jia called, putting her money away and gathering up her things and putting them into her purse. She heard Boss leave and paused for a moment, relishing the silence. She'd always liked being alone in empty buildings that she didn't own; it gave her a sense of adventure and excitement.

Quickly, she contacted Derek.

"Look who it is!" he cried happily as he answered her call.

"Miss you, too," Jia said, laughing. Derek smiled.

"So, where are you and _what the hell_ are you wearing?" he asked, looking her up and down.

"I can't tell you my location, but I'm currently a singer in some saloon-bar-grill-club thing," Jia answered, also looking down at her outfit.

"Why don't you wear anything like that when I'm around?" Derek whined. Jia rolled her eyes.

"Oh, stop whining," she said. Derek laughed, causing Jia to smile.

"Alright, well, when can I see you again? In person?" he asked. "Anytime soon?"

"I don't know," Jia answered. "Why?"

"My dad and his "family" have been invited to another formal party, and I want my girlfriend to come with me," Derek explained, sounding like it should be obvious.

"When is it?" Jia asked, also wanting to be with Derek for the party.

"In three weeks," Derek told her. Jia smiled and nodded.

"I'll try to be there," she promised. Derek smiled back happily.

"Good," he said. Jia's smile faded some and she sighed.

"I have to go," she said sadly. "I have to close this place up."

"Oh, okay," Derek's happiness immediately disappeared. "Call me the next chance you get."

"Right," Jia nodded. She blew him a kiss and then cut the connection, feeling somewhat sad now that she couldn't see Derek's smiling face anymore.

Her sadness turned to suspicion, though, as soon as she heard the door open again. She knew it wasn't Boss because she could hear Boss's heavy footsteps when he walked, and Christy always wore heels that clicked with every step.

Jia tensed and pulled her gun out, loading and readying it. She saw the person's shadow move across the doorway and she aimed. And then the person stepped into the room and Jia shot.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your fire!" a familiar voice cried. Jia blinked and saw Jacob staring at the burn mark in the wall where his head had been a minute ago.

"Jacob," Jia stuttered, blinking furiously and slowly lowering her weapon. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, my Master and I were sent on a mission here and I recognized your ship when we landed so I thought I'd stop by for a visit," Jacob said, assuming a relaxed position leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed.

"Not here, on this planet or in this town, I mean here, _here_. In this building," Jia elaborated, swallowing. Jacob was the only person who could make her feel so nervous; and she didn't like it. Jacob sighed and uncrossed his arms.

"I wanted to see you," he said after a moment. "No scratch that. I _needed_ to see you." He gave Jia a look of such sadness and longing that she felt her defensive walls starting to crumble.

"Jacob, I already told you I don't love you anymore," she knew it was a low blow to remind him, but she didn't want to lead him on.

"I know, I know," Jacob muttered suddenly looking uncomfortable. Jia picked up on it immediately.

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously.

"I just miss you. Your voice, your smell, your eyes. I can't stop thinking about you," he explained in a broken voice. Jia put her gun away and slowly approached Jacob.

"Haven't you found another girl yet?" she asked.

"Jia, you know our rules," Jacob suddenly looked uncomfortable again and Jia narrowed her eyes. "I mean, there've been some," he answered her question.

"What happened?" Jia asked curiously.

"They weren't you," Jacob answered immediately. Jia smiled slightly at the sort-of compliment. Jacob grinned. "I love your smile," he murmured, bringing a hand up to her face. Jia gently deflected his hand.

"I told before, I accepted you were done and moved on," she reminded him of their conversation in the Jedi Temple.

"But I didn't accept it, and I won't," Jacob countered. Then her words seemed to hit him. "What do you mean by 'moved on'?" Jia shifted her weight back onto her right leg and looked down, picking at her shirt.

"I'm with someone else," she confessed after a moment.

"Oh," was all Jacob said, blinking, somewhat startled, though he didn't know why he was so surprised. Of course Jia had moved on. She _excelled_ at moving on with her life. Jia nodded.

"Yeah," she said, suddenly feeling awkward.

"Who?" Jacob asked finally.

"A boy from Alderaan," Jia said. Jacob nodded, wanting to leave, but at the same time wanting to spend any extra moment he could with the girl standing excruciatingly close to him.

"I hope he's good to you," he told her at last, meaning every word. "I hope you're happy now." Jia smiled and looked down. Hesitantly, she grasped Jacob's hand, and Jacob had to fight to control himself. The warmth of her hand in his was enough to almost make him lose his cool.

"Same for you," she said. "I hope you are happy and content with whatever you chose for your life." Jacob knew she wasn't just talking about being a Jedi. He could tell that she had figured out the real reason of why he was standing a foot away from her.

"Jia," he said seriously, grasping her other hand, "this boy, whatever his name is and whatever he does or plans to do with his life, he better know how lucky he is that you chose to let him be a part of your life. And he better treat you right, better than I did."

"He will," Jia promised for Derek. Jacob looked at her skeptically, raising one eyebrow.

"Hmm," was his only response. He released her hands and turned to leave.

"Jacob," Jia called after him he turned around and found himself staring straight into her piercing blue eyes. "If you're anywhere near Alderaan in about three weeks, stop by. I'll be there. There's a party we're going to, and, well, I'm inviting you."

Jacob felt his heart shatter again at her offer. He knew the "we're" was her and her new boyfriend, and the thought of her going somewhere with any other boy hurt him more than she would ever know. He knew she hadn't meant to hurt him, that she was just trying to be nice, but it didn't help ease the pain.

He approached her again, glad she didn't back away, but sad at the same time she didn't go towards him.

Jia looked up at Jacob. He was standing a little closer than she would have liked, but she knew he wouldn't do anything to purposely hurt her. He looked down on her, and for a minute, the only sound was them breathing in synchrony. Then he cupped her cheek in his hand again, and this time she didn't push him away.

"I can't watch the girl I love dance with another boy," he murmured, "without going crazy."

"Oh," Jia said softly. Hearing her voice so soft, with her standing so close, undid Jacob. He knew she would probably hit him, but he couldn't help it. He leaned in and kissed her. Jia stood still, not responding, but not pushing him away either. When he did pull away, she stretched up and gave him a tight hug.

"I might not love you anymore, but I'll miss you," she whispered. Jacob returned her hug, resting his face in the crook of her neck and breathing in the scent of burning wood. Whenever he saw fire, for the rest of his life, he would think of Jia.

"I'll miss you, too," he said. Jia released him after a moment longer and stepped back. She kissed his cheek and grasped his hand again.

"Take care of yourself, Jacob," she repeated what she had told him more than a year ago. "Whatever you chose, never forget who you are." There it was again, the hint that she knew what his real purpose was to be in the same city she was in. "And never forget, no matter what, I'm still your friend."

Jacob nodded and offered a hesitant smile. Jia smiled back and released his hand. He nodded to her once and then turned and walked away. Jia smiled, happy for him when he didn't turn around to look at her, and happy for him, that this time, he was the one walking away.

* * *

_Sorry it took so long for this to get out. I had it done days ago, but for whatever reason, my computer was being a bum and wouldn't let me access FF. But I finally got here and updated! Yay! Anyways, Jacob is back, yes. For those who accidentally over-looked this itty-bitty detail, Jacob has some big decision to make, and Jia's guessed it. Your turn to try and figure it out! If you want. _

_And, the search team is officially disbanded. It was fun while it lasted! Let me know what you think._


	50. The Lauging Man

**The Laughing Man**

_A month and a half later…_

Jia took her ship into a steep corkscrew dive. She glanced at a monitor in her cockpit and saw that the ship that was tailing her was still right behind her. She let out a growl of frustration and pulled up sharply. So did the other ship, even though it was much bigger. Much, much bigger. In fact, it reminded her of what a stereotypical UFO looked like in cheesy movies and animations and paintings.

Slowly, but surely, the other ship was gaining on her. She had been trying to get away from it for the last six hours. She wasn't sure who was following her, but she was sure it was either bounty hunters or pirates; she wasn't in the mood to deal with either.

She flew past a planet and suddenly felt a strange tugging sensation in her gut. It was almost as if her stomach wanted to stop on that planet for lunch. Not sure what to do, turn to the planet or keep going, she accidentally slowed down, and it was enough for the other ship to catch up to her.

They caught her ship in their tractor beam and drew it into the belly of their ship. Jia, knowing she couldn't get her ship out of the tractor beam, jumped up and started preparing herself with an assortment of weapons. Her regular knife and gun went on her right hip, and her back-up knife went into the hollow heel of her combat boots and her gun into her boot. A shock whip and a regular whip were coiled and placed on her left hip. She slung a twelve-inch, curved, wicked-looking hunting knife across her shoulders so it rested against her back.

In the small of her back, she tucked yet another gun. Then she slipped a black leather jacket on. She knew it would make it difficult to pull out the hunting knife, but she didn't want to show just how many weapons she had at first sight.

Over her jacket she put an ammunition belt diagonal across her shoulders. She put on a belt that could double as another shock whip and then clipped a Taser onto her belt. She fit a dagger in her jacket's inside pocket, put on a wrist gauntlet that would automatically sync up with the nearest ship and then she would be able to control it; and finally deemed herself ready to face whatever was on the other ship. Just in time, too.

She heard voices shouting outside in some other language, and then there was banging on the main enterance to her ship.

"Open the door," a heavily accented voice said. Jia pressed a button on her wrist gauntlet and electricity coursed over the outside surface of the main door. She heard a bellow of pain and then some more shouting.

"We only want to talk," this time it was a voice better rehearsed in English.

"Yeah, and then probably kill me," Jia called through the door. She heard the being laughing. A good hearty laugh, that was so infectious even Jia couldn't help but smile a little.

"If you prove yourself useful, maybe we won't kill you," the Laughing Man, as Jia had decided to call him until she got his real name, said.

"Maybe?" Jia repeated. "Not very reassuring."

"If you don't open the door, we will," Laughing Man threatened her.

"Go ahead," Jia retorted. "Door's unlocked."

Moments later, her door slid open and a man, Jia recognized his species as Weequay, stepped into her ship. She immediately attacked him, pulling out the Taser and holding it to his neck. Within seconds, he was an unconscious heap crumpled onto the floor.

"Is that the best you have?" she taunted the Weequans. She barely had time to draw in a breath before laser shots hit the far wall of the living room. Instead of scorching the wall, though, the wall absorbed the energy of the shots, and stored it in the ships back-up power supply.

Jia retaliated by launching a thermal detonator into the mass of beings gathered right outside her ship. She turned sideways, crouched down, tucked her head in, and covered her ears as the explosion rocked the other ship. She wasted no time standing up and assessing the damage she had caused. Alarms blared and lights flashed, but Jia wasn't worried or anything. In fact, she felt right at home.

That was one thing that had changed since she had started going alone again. She felt less responsible and less stressed, not having to worry about anyone else. She knew her limits and could push them however she liked, knowing the consequences would only come back to hurt her.

"Have I proved myself useful yet?" she called out to whatever survivors there may be. As the smoke and debris started to clear from the air, Jia saw one figure standing and clapping with slow, mocking applause.

"Not necessarily useful, but very dangerous," Jia recognized the voice as Laughing Man. She heard him chuckle and decided he might be a pirate or a bounty hunter, but at least he enjoyed life.

"If I come down from my ship, will you and your men agree not to attack me with any weapon or attempt to capture me?" she asked.

"Of course, my dear," Laughing Man said. Jia clipped the Taser back onto her belt and walked leisurely down the ramp onto the other ship, her hand placed casually on her gun holster.

As the smoke finished clearing, she saw there was a horde of very angry-looking Weequans waiting to greet her. She looked for the one that might possibly be Laughing Man, but couldn't identify anyone that he might be. Then, one stepped out of the group and Jia could immediately tell he was the leader, and therefore probably Laughing Man.

"My, my, my," he said, shaking his head slightly.

"What now?" Jia asked, her hand slowly wrapping around her gun.

"You are not what I expected," Laughing Man told her, tipping his head slightly to the side and studying her through narrowed eyes.

"Neither are you," Jia retorted. He just sorta smiled and turned back to the angry mass.

"We feast tonight," he called, raising his arms, "in honor of a new friendship we have made!"

"If this is how they make friends," Jia muttered to herself, "I'd hate to see how they make enemies."

* * *

_I know this was really, really short, but it's been forever since I updated (thanks to that little incident with my USB drive) and I thought you guys would like some sort of chapter. Don't worry; the next one will be longer. I have started a new story, though, so updates might be even slower than usual (can you believe that?). I will say that the idea for binging pirates into the story was not mine. The credit goes to kenobiskywalker. Anyways, Happy Valentine's Day and all that good stuff! Let me know what you think :)_


	51. Old Friends And New Ones

**Old Friends And New Ones**

Jia learned the Laughing Man's name was actually Hondo Ohnaka. As she had suspected, he was a pirate. But a very friendly and surprisingly hospitable pirate. His group of followers was hostile and suspicious of Jia at first, but then they warmed up to her.

It was her second day with the pirates and she was playing a game of Checkers, pirate-style. Everytime a piece was taken out of the game, whoever's piece that was owed the other person 100 credits. So far, Jia was winning.

As she studied the board, waiting for the pirate to make his next move, she remembered when her dad had taught her how to play Checkers.

* * *

_Seven-year-old Jia balanced a stack of floppy, paperback books on her head and danced around the room. Her dad and her mom sat on the loveseat in the corner of the room, watching her with looks of amused exasperation. _

"_You should stop her before she breaks something," her mom murmured to her dad. As if on cue, Jia crashed into the coffee table and tumbled onto the futon, tipping the table and sending its contents spilling onto the living room floor._

"_Good idea," her dad agreed. He stood up and helped Jia up off the ground. "Hey, Monkey, wanna play a game?"_

"_Is it with the NERF guns again?" Jia asked hopefully. Her dad chuckled and ruffled her hair, sending the curls every which way._

"_It's a mind game," he dad explained, leading her into the dining room and taking down his Checkers set. "It'll help you with bigger things later in life."_

"_It looks like a race car flag," Jia commented, tipping her head to the side and studying the board._

"_Yes it does," her dad agreed. He her down in a chair and then sat across from her. He showed her how to set up the board and then explained the rules. It took very little time before Jia grasped the concept. After about an hour of playing, she had developed her own techniques and patterns._

"_This is fun," she said, smiling up at her dad as she won for the second time._

"_Just remember how to play and it'll help you when you get older, Monkey," her dad said, returning her smile. Jia just focused on beating her dad for a third time._

* * *

Jia smiled slightly at the memory. She hadn't known it would help her in playing against pirates. She jumped her adversary's last piece and smirked up at him.

"I win," she said. "Pay up, bubba."

There was some good-natured laughing and groaning as he handed her the money. The group of onlookers looked at Jia with a new light of respect in their eyes. And then Hondo appeared out of nowhere.

He grabbed her arm, not in a violent way, but in a firm way, and led her up to the bridge of his monster ship.

"So what were you doing in this part of space?" he asked. He had been asking her that same question for the past two days, and Jia had refused to answer. Now, though, she decided to tell him. Or spin the truth to make it make more sense.

"I have been looking for a friend of mine and I got some intel that she was on that planet you caught me over," she told him. She had been thinking about that feeling in her stomach and realized it was her "assassin radar," or the Force, whichever one was more preferred, telling her someone, either Ahsoka or Barriss or both, was on that planet.

"So you were one a rescue mission?" Hondo asked. Jia nodded and he clapped once and raised his voice excitedly. "Then we will help you!" he exclaimed.

"I appreciate your offer but that's not necessary," Jia said.

"No, no, no," Hondo said, shaking his head and clucking his tongue as if he were disappointed by her decision. "It was not an offer. It was a decision. _My_ decision, not yours." Jia opened her mouth to argue, but she could tell Hondo had his mind set on helping her.

* * *

Jia pulled her parka hood tighter and narrowed her eyes against the snow. It turned out the planet she had been captured over was called Hoth, and it was a snowy planet. A _very_ snowy planet.

She studied the snow-covered terrain, searching for any sign of life. There was none. So instead she was just following her gut instinct.

"How do you know where we are going?" Hondo called to her. Jia looked back at him and smiled reassuringly.

"I grew up in snow," she lied easily. "I know how to scope out the landscape. Trust me." When she turned away she grimaced. "I sure do hope I know where I'm going," she muttered to herself.

After about an hour of trudging through the snow, they came upon giant footprints. They were going northwest, even further away from the ship. Jia didn't hesitate, though, to follow the tracks. She knew it was a small chance it would lead to some sort of civilization, but it was the only lead beside her gut, and her gut was currently rumbling about its hunger.

Another hour and a half passed before they came across a tiny little hut.

"Oh, thank you," Jia breathed. She led the way in, the small group of pirates following behind her. The rest had stayed on the ship, ready to fly to the rescue.

Inside the hut was a warm fire. The walls and floor were covered with animal furs, wood, and all sorts of different planks and things that looked like surf boards. Jia's assassin radar was sending her signals so strong it almost caused her to collapse, so she knew she was close to either Ahsoka or Barriss.

Jia looked around again, studying the objects more closely. The closer she looked, the more she realized the hut wasn't as warm and friendly as it seemed. And there was a suspicious looking lump covered in furs and leaning against one of the planks. Jia readied her gun and cautiously approached the lump. The pirates also grabbed their guns and started going through all the other things in the hut.

Jia reached the lump and slowly peeled back the furs. One fur after another came away, revealing nothing. Jia was starting to get somewhat annoyed and was about to just ignore the lump when her hand brushed against something that wasn't fur or part of the plank.

She pulled the furs away at a much faster pace and slowly the body of a young Mirilian came into view. Jia gasped and finished removing the furs. Hondo came up behind her and studied the Mirilian with interest.

"She looks familiar," he noted, sounding very confused. Jia nodded, forcing back tears. She didn't say anything for the longest time.

"Hondo, I'd like you to meet my friend," Jia spoke at last, her sadness turning to fury, "Barriss Offee."

* * *

Barriss woke up slowly. She was aware of other people around her. Warmth was coming from somewhere. She didn't recognize the presences of most the people, but there was one, bright red with anger and black with hatred, mixed with the bright blue that Barriss had come to associate with love. The presence was strong and powerful, and made her feel safer. There was only one person who had that Force aura, and that was-

"Jia," Barriss finally opened her eyes and spotted the assassin girl talking to Hondo Ohnaka. At her name, Jia turned her deep blue eyes on Barriss.

"You're alive!" she exclaimed. Her voice was filed with relief as she crushed Barriss in a huge hug. "I thought you were dead. There wasn't any pulse. Your skin was so cold. I was sure-"

"I'm not dead," Barriss confirmed, her voice cracking. Jia's relief immediately turned to concern.

"You're not okay, though," she said. Barriss tried to shake her head.

"I'll be-," she was cut off my Jia.

"If you say you'll be fine I'm going to hit you," Jia threatened. Barriss managed a smile and then her eyes rolled back in her head and she went unconscious again.

* * *

When Barriss finally came back to consciousness, she was on Jia's ship, lying on one of the sofa's wrapped in multiple blankets with an IV attached to her arm. The lights were very dim and there was music playing. Barriss listened closely to the words and realized they weren't in Basic or any other language she knew.

She saw Jia come out of the computer room, holding a comlink and talking to someone in a low voice. Barriss strained her ears but she couldn't make out what Jia was talking about to the other person. When she saw she was awake, Jia ended her conversation with the person and sat down on the edge of the sofa next to Barriss.

"How are you?" she asked. Barriss attempted to shrug and then let out a yelp as pain lanced across her shoulders and down her back. Jia winced.

"Yeah, I suggest not moving until I give you some pain medicine," she said. Now that she had brought it up, Barriss was suddenly aware of how much pain she was in.

"Where are the pirates?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

"I paid them for their help and they let us go free," Jia said with a shrug. "I think it helped that they knew I could kill them all pretty much effortlessly if I wanted." Barriss managed a small smile.

"So, we're going to be stopping on Alderaan for a little while. You will be taken to a special doctor and a psychologist. The healing is going to take a while, but it is possible," Jia said. Her voice took on a serious tone that Barriss rarely ever heard.

"I don't need psychologist," she tried to protest, but she ended in a coughing fit.

"I've been held captive and tortured before," Jia said in a soft voice. "I know what it's like. You do need a psychologist. Experiences like what you just went through always change people, and it's never good changes. You need to become as healed as possible if you are going to continue aiding your Master in the Clone Wars or help me finish my search for Ahsoka."

Barriss was still for a moment, and then she gave in with a sigh and nodded slightly, wincing as the pain intensified for a moment. Jia added something to the IV drip and Barriss immediately felt her body go numb.

"Try to sleep," Jia instructed gently. She was acting so motherly and gentle, Barriss wondered if this was the same hardcore assassin she knew. Jia kneeled down next to the Jedi. "It's all over. We'll be on Alderaan in a couple hours. Don't worry. You're safe now."

* * *

The third time Barriss woke up, she was in a hospital. She knew right away she was on Alderaan. She struggled to sit up and saw a little light flash in the corner of her eye. Seconds later, a nurse hurried in.

"Don't try to sit up just yet," she chastised gently, making Barriss lie back down. "You aren't strong enough." Barriss just blinked at her.

"Jia?" she asked finally.

"That nice young girl that brought you in?" the nurse asked. Barriss nodded once, and realized there was less pain this time. "Oh, she left. She said she had to go see a friend, but she told me to tell you she would be back later. She was very polite, but very strict on how we were to treat you. She said there had to be constant sound, either music or nature sounds. She also said to let you have as much interaction with other people as possible. There was another thing about if anyone other than her or other doctors came to see you, we were to turn them away."

Barriss realized that Jia was doing everything she could to protect her even though she wasn't physically at the hospital. The realization made her appreciate the assassin girl that much more. The nurse continued to talk as she checked over everything.

"-a very nice day today. Maybe you can go outside a little later if you're strong enough. We'll have you on a solid food diet soon enough-," Barriss turned her out and fell asleep again.

* * *

Jia knocked on the door to Derek's apartment. It had been over a year since she'd last seen him. A part of her was anxious on how he would react. The door opened and a different boy stood in the doorway.

"Yes?" he asked, looking Jia up and down.

"Umm, is Derek here?" she asked him, trying to look around his head to see inside. She heard frantic movement and Derek appeared at the door, shoving the other boy out of the way.

"Yes I am," he said. Jia leapt at him and gave him a huge bear hug. Derek stumbled back into his apartment and held Jia tight against him.

"Oh, I missed you so much," Jia whispered.

"I missed you more," Derek retorted playfully. Jia released him from her hug and gave him a kiss.

"I doubt that," she said, smiling up at him. Derek opened his mouth to say something, but the other boy interrupted.

"So going to introduce me to your friend?" he asked in a nasally, arrogant voice. Jia took a moment to study him. He was skinny, scrawny, tall, and pale, with mousy blonde hair and a head that was too big for his tiny body.

"Jiana Sasha White," Jia introduced herself, holding out her hand for him to shake. The other boy just sniffed and looked at her. Jia blinked at how rude he was, but controlled her temperament. For the moment.

"Jia, this is Josh," Derek sounded nervous. "He's the son of the banker that works with Dad."

"Oh," Jia said, understanding dawning on her.

"Who are your parents?" Josh asked her, still sounding very arrogant.

"People who are more valued than yours," Jia told him, getting an attitude. Josh's nostrils flared with anger.

"How dare you?" he snarled.

"I dare because you don't scare me. I don't give a crap who your parents are or how much money you have," Jia told him. "Now please, leave so I can forget I ever met you." She heard Derek cough and could tell he was trying not to laugh.

Josh took a threatening step towards her and Jia took a step to meet him in the middle.

"I wouldn't suggest getting me angry," Josh warned. Jia shrugged and stared up at him, a challenge glowing in her blue eyes.

"Bring it on Big Head," she said. Josh started trembling with anger and raised his hand to hit Jia, but before he could strike, she had him pinned on the ground with her knife at his throat. "Like I said, you don't scare me."

Josh glared at her, but she could tell he was terrified.

"Alright, Jia, let him up," Derek stepped in at last. Jia was still for a moment, but then she complied. She stood up next to Derek and wound her fingers with his. Josh got up and straightened his blazer.

"It's okay," he seemed to be talking to himself. "I know you are only acting like this because you are attracted to me, but you don't want to show it in front of your boyfriend." Jia looked at Josh with shock, her eyebrows creeping up her forehead as he spoke.

"You think I'm _attracted_ to you?" she asked incredulously.

"I know you are," Josh corrected. Jia opened her mouth slightly and then turned to look up at Derek. He gave her a slight shrug, silently telling her he didn't care. Faster than lightening, Jia kicked Josh in his groin. Josh let out a high-pitched scream and fell to the ground in the fetal position. Jia looked down on him with contempt.

"Let me make one thing clear," she said, crouching down next to him. "I am, in no way, shape, or form, attracted to you, you obnoxious, arrogant, slick, disgusting, dirty, little-"

"Alright, Josh, why don't you go," Derek said loudly, cutting Jia off. She glared at him, frustrated she hadn't gotten to call Josh any names. Josh just nodded in agreement, got up, and scurried away out of the apartment.

Derek closed the door behind him and looked at Jia.

"What?" she asked him, looking like a little kid that had been caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar.

"Was all that necessary?" he asked her at last. Jia shrugged.

"He was irking my nerves," she said. "Very much." Derek stared at her for a moment more and then smiled and shook his head slightly.

"I love you," was all he said. Jia grinned sheepishly and hugged him tightly.

"I love you more."

* * *

_Alright, here's the next chapter. Barriss is back, but Ahsoka is still lost. I know my chapters are getting kinda of weird in length and content, but, like I already said, the end is approaching and I'm getting impatient for it to get here (I'm a very impatient person). Anyways, tell me what you think!_


	52. Healing

_Yes, I updated like two days ago, but I am just on a roll. Anyways, this chapter is back to regular length and it's more normal-ish. Hope you enjoy!_

**Healing**

Jia looked up from the book she was reading when she heard the apartment door open. Derek walked in and dumped his bag full of books on the floor.

"I'm home," he announced. Jia smiled.

"I can see that," she said. She put her book down and stood up, greeting Derek with a kiss on the cheek. "I know you have to help your dad late tonight so I packed you a dinner." Derek looked at her appreciatively.

"So, quick question," he said, wrapping his arms around Jia's waist and looking down at her. "How do you know so much about living a, uh, _domestic_ life?" Jia pulled back from him and pursed her lips, but he could tell she was trying not to smile.

"You forget I used to have two brothers and a sister," she reminded him. "I know how to take care of the men in my life." Derek chuckled and gave her a quick kiss and then continued into the bedroom, Jia trailing behind him.

"So, are you going to tell me where you keep going during the days?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe and crossing her arms. Derek took off his shirt and started changing into his "work" clothes. He glanced up at her and half-smiled.

"I'm seventeen," he said. "I'm going to school." Jia raised her eyebrows.

"School?" she asked. She had almost forgotten that teenagers went to school. It seemed like such a foreign concept because she hadn't gone in years. She had dropped out to join Wolffe's group. Kayla had continued going and would fill her in on everything whenever Jia visited her siblings, but when Kayla and Gavin had been killed, her education had stopped.

She learned by watching and doing, and it was all things that helped her get by in her assassin life, not a normal civilian life.

"Yeah, school," Derek repeated, trying not to laugh. He changed his pants and looked up at Jia as he was buckling his belt. "You should come with me sometime."

"Tomorrow?" Jia asked, suddenly yearning for something as simple as school again. Derek shrugged.

"Sure," he said. "My teachers wouldn't mind. You could find the class you like and stay there for the day, doing a "special lesson" or something. Everyone would be happy. The teachers wouldn't have to work, the girls would get to see someone from their gender being dominant, which, sadly, is very rare at my school, and the boys would get to look at you."

At his last statement, Jia launched the first thing she grabbed, a bottle of water, at Derek. He ducked and then leapt at Jia, grabbing her and tossing her onto his bed. She rolled out of the way as he jumped on after her, and ended up rolling right off the edge of the bed. Both Derek and Jia started laughing hysterically.

Jia scrambled back up onto the bed and stretched out next to Derek, relishing the little time she had to spend with him until he had to go work. He shifted a little to get more comfortable and wound his fingers with hers.

"I think you should do music class," he said at last. Jia tipped her head to look up at him.

"Like instruments and singing music class?" she asked.

"No, like reading out of math books music class," Derek retorted playfully. Jia rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"Okay, so I'll work out some things tonight and then go talk to the teacher tomorrow before class starts," she said. She remembered knowing how to get what she wanted from teachers from when she went to school. How to talk to them, when to go see the, how to act; everything was key if you wanted to do something on the fly in a school.

"There's no first period, so he'll be free," Derek informed her. Jia was a little surprised at the 'he,' and then remembered the male teachers she had had, and how Derek had mentioned her being in a place of dominance, which wasn't common at his school.

"So, it's all set then?" she asked him. He nodded and then yawned. Jia looked at him. "Get some sleep," she said.

"I'm fine," Derek tried to say, but he was interrupted by another yawn. Jia rolled her eyes and gave him a stern glare, and he relented. "Okay, okay." He rolled over onto his side, draping his arm over Jia, and closed his eyes. Within minutes, he was asleep.

Jia gently removed his arm from around her and silently slid off the bed. She loved spending time with Derek, but she also needed to go check on Barriss. They had been on Alderaan for a week, and she tried to visit the Healer every day.

Since it was winter and Derek lived on a higher altitude part of the planet, the ground was covered with snow, and it was currently snowing outside. Jia put on a hoodie and a leather jacket over the hoodie. She was already wearing some jeans and shoes that reminded her Reboks. She zipped up the hoodie and the jacket and then flipped up the hood. She was sure she looked like she was up to something, but she didn't care. She was just going to visit a hospital.

She hopped on her speeder bike and zipped away to the hospital. It was only a five minute ride, but she was still a little cold by the time she got there. The nurse on duty recognized her right away and handed her the key to Barriss's room. Jia smiled her thanks and then unlocked the door and entered the room.

Barriss was awake, watching the news on the holo-net. She looked over as Jia walked into the room and smiled, but her smile was feeble and her eyes were distant. Jia shook the snow off her hood and pulled it down. She sat down in the chair next to Barriss's bed and returned the Healer's smile.

"What is it?" she asked, not bothering for a preamble.

"Things have changed so much since I was taken," Barriss murmured. Jia bit her lip. She knew what was happening. Barriss's experience was causing her to think differently so she suddenly saw everything in a different light, and everything seemed changed.

"How so?" was all she said.

"So many clone deaths, and Jedi deaths, and darkness is coming," Barriss looked at Jia imploringly. "Can't you feel it?"

"I'm sorry," Jia apologized, squeezing Barriss's hand. She didn't point out all those deaths had been happening before Barriss had been taken. "I can't feel it. I'm not special like you." Barriss smiled a real smile and the distant look in her eyes disappeared.

"You are very special," she corrected. Jia smiled again.

"So, how's it going?" she asked. Barriss's smile brightened.

"Great. I feel so much better. You were right about stopping here. The doctor knows what he's doing. He's great. And the psychologist is great, too," she said. Jia nodded and made a mental note to ask the psychologist if she could take a look at the notes and records he had collected on Barriss.

"So, when do you think you'll be up?" she inquired. Barriss's smile faded at that, and Jia immediately became concerned. Barriss hadn't told her anything in the past week that would have suggested something was severely wrong, and the nurses and doctors hadn't said anything, either. "What is it?"

"Jia, as of current, I am paralyzed from the waist down," Barriss whispered, looking down at her lap. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as Jia registered what Barriss had told her. And then she became angry. Angrier than she had been when her parents had been killed. Angrier than when her siblings, Eagle, Red, all of them, had died.

How _dare _someone do this to her friend?

"Do you know how it happened?" she asked in a soft, tight, barely controlled voice. Barriss shook her head and looked at Jia apologetically.

"I can't remember anything from that night in the mansion to when I woke up and you were there with the pirates," she said. "But I have some suspicions of how it happened." Jia nodded, her eyes hard and cold with utter hate and loathing for the persons that did this.

"Yeah, I do, too," she muttered. Barriss looked at Jia for a moment, and then gripped her hand tighter.

"You're the first thing I can remember seeing," she said after seconds of silence. "You were talking to the pirate leader. I felt safer in your presence. You looked just like an angel." Jia looked down and shook her head.

"Yeah, well we both know what I really am," she said quietly. Barriss let out a long breath and then closed her eyes and focused. Jia started slightly as she felt a presence brushing up against her mind. Cautiously, she let her mental barrier down, and suddenly Barriss was in her mind, seeing what she was.

* * *

_Jia was sitting next to a hospitable bed. Eagle was unconscious in it, and she was holding his hand, rubbing her thumb in slow circles on the back of his hand. He stirred slightly and Jia released his hand and moved the chair back a little._

_Eagle opened his eyes and slowly looked around the room. As his eyes came into focus, he saw Jia sitting next to him. Her blonde hair was down so it fell in soft waves around her tan face. Her blue eyes sparkled, not with worry, but with care. _

"_You saved me," he coughed out. Jia shrugged and looked down, embarrassed. Barriss realized that was the first nice thing he had ever said to her._

"_It was a team effort. Swirl helped us," she said modestly, but Eagle shook his head. He looked meaningfully at Jia._

"_I remember. You saved my life. You protected me with your own body. You risked your life for me," he sounded as if he couldn't figure out to be grateful or in awe. _

"_I was just doing what I was supposed to," Jia muttered, squirming uncomfortably. Eagle was still staring at her as if he were in some sort of a trance._

"_You looked like and angel. You had wings and a dress," he told her. Jia blinked and looked thoroughly confused. _

"_I've never, ever had wings, and I was in pants and a shirt," she said, now looking worried._

"_No you looked like an angel," Eagle argued weakly. "I thought I was dead."_

"_Well, you aren't and you need to snap out of this," Jia said a lot sharper than she intended, but Eagle didn't seem fazed. He just continued looking at her._

"_An angel," he kept murmuring. "Archangel was an angel. A real angel. An angel."_

* * *

Jia snapped her mental barriers back into place and Barriss looked at her with a new sort of understanding.

"He saw what he wanted," Jia muttered. The memory had always bothered her, though, especially the part about the wings and the dress.

"I don't know, maybe he saw the truth," Barriss countered softly. Jia looked at her and smiled slightly. She looked at the time. She had already been with Barriss for about thirty minutes.

"Well, I need to go," she said, standing up. "You need to rest."

"I would prefer use of my-," Barriss cut herself off as soon as she realized what she had started to say. Jia's eyes became cold and uncaring again and Barriss knew she had just signed a death warrant.

* * *

Derek came home around midnight. He entered the apartment silently just in case Jia was already asleep. Sometimes she was, sometimes she wasn't; and he couldn't find a pattern so he just always assumed she was until he knew differently. This time she was asleep.

She was curled up on the sofa and the holo-net was on. She had probably fallen asleep watching the news. He silently took off his jacket and draped it over the back of the couch. He stood still for a minute, watching Jia sleep. She always looked so much younger and innocent when she was asleep.

After a moment, he picked her up and carried her to his room and set her down on the bed. He went and showered and changed into a pair of sweatpants. When he got back to his room, he saw Jia lying spread-eagle in the center of the bed. He chuckled softly and scooted her over to one side. He lay down on the other side, made sure Jia had enough covers, and then rolled onto his side and closed his eyes.

For a while, he was aware of Jia's steady, even breathing. It soon put him to sleep.

* * *

Derek woke up and saw Jia already up, brushing through her curls. Every time she brushed through them, they bounced back into place. She parted her hair at the side and then twisted her bangs back and pinned it up with a bobby pin.

She was already dressed in black jeggings, a tight red and white stripped cami with a grey knit cardigan. She had on mascara and some sparkly skin-colored eyeshadow. She had on five-inch wedges that were silver sandals with the straps crossing ecach other in an intricate pattern. Silver little flower earrings finished off the outfit.

"You look great," he said. Jia set down her hairbrush and turned around.

"I figured I'd better get a little dressed up for my day as a teacher," she said, looking down and blushing slightly. Derek smiled and slid out of bed. He yawned and stretched.

"I'm gonna look like a bum compared to you," he pretended to complain. Jia just kissed him on the cheek and went into the kitchen. Derek smiled and shook his head.

He slid out of bed and quickly put on a pair of jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt. He rolled the sleeves up a little, put on a belt, and slipped on some tennis shoes. He briefly combed through his hair and then went into the kitchen, also.

Jia had breakfast ready and was already eating. She looked up as he entered the kitchen and nodded at the stove. There was some sort of hot cereal ready and a mug of hot chocolate.

"Looks good," he commented, serving some of the cereal and grabbing the mug of chocolate.

"That's 'cause it is," Jia said, finishing off her cereal and getting up to put the bowl in the sink. She picked up her mug of hot chocolate and leaned against the wall, sipping it.

"So what do you have planned for today?" Derek asked her. Jia grinned at him mischievously.

"You'll just have to come to class to find out," she said. She put her mug in the sink and went into the living room.

Derek smiled and chuckled softly. He quickly ate his breakfast and finished up his hot chocolate. He sat down on the sofa and watched Jia pack up her laptop and some other electronics and wires.

"How do we get to school?" she asked him, not looking up from her packing.

"There's a very big speeder that stops in certain places to pick up kids. Our stop is right outside the apartment since a lot of kids live here," Derek said.

"Kind of like a bus," Jia muttered. "Haven't ridden a school bus since sixth grade. This is going to be interesting."

* * *

Jia studied the other kids at the stop. They kept glancing at her and whispering to each other. She couldn't help but smile. This, she was used to. Being the new kid was something that she had been almost her entire life, since her parents had been in the military and she had moved so much.

Derek was over talking to Josh and some other boys. Josh kept staring at Jia and she fought the urge to smack him a couple times. Some nice, good, hard smacks.

Finally, one of the other girls came over to Jia. She had pale skin and dark brown hair that had obviously been straightened. She had a very angular face and eyes that were so dark brown they were almost black. She was pretty in an odd sort of way.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," Jia said back.

"So, what's your name?" the girl asked.

"Jia," Jia answered. "And you?"

"Mikki," the other girl said. "So, are you new here, or what?"

"You could say that," Jia said. She looked up and saw Derek was watching her. She grinned at him and rolled her eyes, and she saw him laugh before turning back to his friends.

"What classes do you have?" Mikki was asking.

"I know I have music," Jia said. That was true to a point. Mikki smiled.

"Oh, me too. What period?" Jia opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, some other girls came over.

"Who's this, Mikki?" one of the other girls asked. It wasn't in an unfriendly way, simply a curious way.

"Her name is Jia. She's new," Mikki told her friends.

"Oh, well hi, I'm Jen," the girl that had spoken introduced herself. She held out her hand and Jia shook it. As if that were a cue, the other girls introduced themselves. There was Jamie, Morgan, Sofia, Briean, and Josey.

"Where are you living?" Josey asked. She seemed to have become particularly attached to Jia in the few minutes they had known each other.

"Currently with Derek," Jia said. By this time, all the other kids had gathered around and one of the boys looked at Derek, his mouth opened slightly.

"_That's_ your girl?" he asked him. "No way!" Derek just grinned somewhat smugly and Jia rolled her eyes.

"Stop showing off," she said with a sigh, elbowing him in the ribs. Derek chuckled and shook his head slightly. And then the bus was there.

* * *

Jia looked at the group of student sitting in desks in front of her. They were all older than her, but she wasn't bothered. She opened her laptop, which she had connected to many different electronics, and activated her "lesson" for the day.

The lights shut off and a black screen fell over the windows, throwing the room into complete darkness except for the computer screen. Another button click and colored spotlights lit up, pointing at the front of the room. Jia pulled a microphone out of her bag and turned it on. She had already set up speakers, along with everything else.

"I don't know if you've figured it out already, but today, I am your music teacher," Jia said. "Maybe tomorrow I'll be your math teacher. Anyways, I'm betting that, since this class is optional, you are all here because you want to be some sort of musician. Well, today's your lucky day. You get to get up on this stage and perform for your classmates. And then they will vote on the best performance and the winners of each class will get to participate in a concert that I am currently setting up with my friend Senator Bail Organa."

The class erupted into cheers and Jia smiled.

"So, who wants to be first?" she asked. One of the girls raised her hand and Jia nodded at her, giving her permission to speak.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say we would like to hear your musical talent," she said. Jia paused for a moment and then smiled.

"Alright, just give me a moment," she said. She sifted through all the songs she had ever memorized and tried to find the right one. After a minute, she got it. It was somewhat sad, but it had a good beat so it wasn't too slow, but it wasn't a dance song, either.

A few click with her computer mouse and she was able to dig up the karaoke version of the song from her computers memory. She changed the spotlight color to gold and then started the music.

"_I miss those blue eyes, how you kissed me at night.  
I miss the way we sleep, like there's no sunrise.  
Like the taste of your smile, I miss the way we breathe._

_But I never told you what I should have said.  
No I never told you, I just held it in.  
And now I miss everything about you.  
I can't believe that I still want you.  
After all the things we've been through.  
I miss everything about you,  
Without you."_

As Jia sang, she thought about Eagle. Jia knew in order for a song to be sung great, the singer had to have some sort of connection to the song. Jia's connection was Eagle. She would never admit it to anybody, but she still had some feelings for him, and she knew she always would.

"_I see your blue eyes every time I close mine,  
You make it hard to see.  
Where I belong to when I'm not around you,  
It's like I'm not with me._

_But I never told you what I should have said.  
No I never told you, I just held it in.  
And now I miss everything about you.  
I can't believe that I still want you.  
After all the things we've been through.  
I miss everything about you,  
Without you."_

Jia knew the chorus was repeated two more times, but she decided to cut the song short and did only once more.

"_But I never told you what I should have said.  
No I never told you, I just held it in.  
And now I miss everything about you.  
I can't believe that I still want you.  
After all the things we've been through.  
I miss everything about you,  
Without you."_

Jia cut off the music and gave a small bow. The class clapped while looking shocked. Jia found it amusing that they had thought a music teacher wouldn't be able to do something musical.

"So," she asked, smiling, "who's first?"

* * *

Jia sat with Barriss on a screened porch, watching the people of Alderaan scurry through the snow to get where they needed to go.

"So, how was your day at school?" Barriss asked. Jia looked at her in surprise.

"I never told you. How did you know?" she asked. Barriss tapped her head and Jia realized she must have been projecting her thoughts.

"So you told them you were setting up a concert with Senator Organa, huh?" Barriss asked. She laughed and shook her head. "And you even said he was your friend. Typical."

"Well, I'm going to set up a concert with him tonight," Jia told the Healer.

"How do you expect to get an audience?" Barriss asked. "You know how long people have to wait?"

"Please, it's me!" Jia said, sounding scandalized. "I can get an audience with whoever I want, whenever I want. It's simply called breaking and entering."

"You're impossible," Barriss laughed. Jia just shrugged. Then she became serious.

"How're your legs?" she asked quietly. Barriss immediately sobered up and sighed.

"It's actually getting a little better. I'm getting some feeling back," she told Jia. "The doctor says it'll take a while before I get full use, but he also told me I'm healing at a much faster rate than anybody he's ever worked with."

"Can't you do something with the Force?" Jia asked. Barriss sighed again.

"Jia, even the Force has its limitations, but I think it's what's helping me heal so quickly," she said. Jia just sort-of grimaced and the two girls fell into silence.

"I'm sorry," she said at last. "It's my fault you're like this."

"Don't be sorry, and it's not your fault," Barriss chastised. "Everything happens for a reason."

"Not everything," Jia muttered. "Sometimes things just happen."

"Don't beat yourself up about this. I am getting better. I am healing and all because you rescued me and brought me here," Barriss said. Jia just shifted uncomfortably in her chair and Barriss smiled slightly. She knew Jia hated getting praised or blamed for something good, because she thought of herself as a monster.

"I should get going," she said after a moment, getting up. "I have a concert to plan." Barriss just nodded distractedly.

One of the main reasons she loved having Jia visit was because the girl's presence chased away all the dark thoughts that now consumed her mind the majority of the time. But whenever she left, they returned. Barriss could tell they were slowly starting to fade, thanks to the help of the psychologist, but she knew it would take a long time; probably longer than it would take her legs to heal. And she also knew that some of the thoughts would always be in the back of her mind, haunting her.


	53. Games To Be Played

**Games To Be Played**

Jia sat up late, going through all the reports and files she had from when she was working with the clones and Lylla. Something was bothering her; a little voice in the back of her mind. There was something right there in front of her, but whenever she tried to grasp it, it would disappear. It was driving her crazy.

Just as she was starting to lose her focus, there was a knock on the door. Jia got up, and cracked open the door, her hand on her gun which was holstered at her hip. Out in the hallway stood a very familiar face. Jia sighed and opened the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked. The face grinned down at her.

"Nice to see you, too, Blondie." Jia rolled her eyes and opened the door wider.

"Come on in, Boba Fett," she muttered sarcastically. Boba chuckled and stepped into Derek's apartment. He settled himself down on the sofa, stretching his arms out on either side of him and slouching. Jia eyed him in annoyance. "Comfy?"

Boba nodded and Jia rolled her eyes again. She sat down on the floor, making sure she elbowed Boba a couple times while she got settled.

"So, what are you doing now?" Boba asked, knowing she was always up to something.

"That, my old friend," Jia said it sarcastically, "is none of your business." Boba shrugged.

"Okay, well, I have a job offer for you." Jia shook her head.

"No thanks," she said. "I'm busy."

"Yeah, I heard you're, ah, starting to settle down," Boba said, scratching his head and looking at Jia mischievously. Jia sighed.

"How did you find out?" she asked.

"You're a possible future target," Boba said, sounding as if it were obvious, "so it's part of my job to know these things about you." Jia just ignored him.

She continued sorting through the reports, organizing them by the information they contained. She stacked the pictures on one side of the table, putting them to the side for later. Boba watched over her shoulder with interest.

"Can I _please_ know what you're doing?" he asked after several minutes. Jia looked up at him and raised her eyebrows.

"Did you just say 'please'?" she asked, shocked. Boba nodded, a grim expression on his face. Jia blinked. "Wow. I am very surprised." She was silent for a moment as she thought about whether she should tell him or not. "Fine, I'm going through all the information I've gathered during the search. Something isn't quite right and I need to figure out what it is."

"You mean, like, the fact that you got caught in that one mansion?" Boba asked innocently. Jia didn't even bother to ask him how he knew about that.

"Yeah, or the fact that Barriss's rescue was too easy. The fact that the pirates helped me without asking for money is not right. And you. You keep showing up right at the _least_ convenient times, always offering a job, always when I'm on Alderaan," Jia said, getting up and pacing restlessly. Boba shrugged.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked her. Jia paused her pacing and looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Someone's screwing with your game." Jia's brow furrowed and she tipped her head to the side. Boba watched her carefully, waiting for her response.

"Someone on the outside is manipulating me," she murmured at last. She looked back up at Boba and he nodded. "And I've gone right along with it! I'm doing exactly what they want me to do. That's why I haven't been able to find Ahsoka yet. That's why I was able to find Barriss." Jia fell onto the sofa and closed her eyes. "I can't believe I didn't see this sooner."

Boba was silent for a moment, and then held out a hand to her, offering to help her up.

"Wanna go get a drink?"

* * *

Jia looked around the shady bar Boba had taken her to. It was dark and musty, and many suspicious-looking people were hanging around. She sighed.

"You couldn't have taken me to a place of better quality?" she asked him. He turned his helmeted head to face her. They had stopped by his ship so he could change into his armor. Jia found he looked very different and very intimidating in the scuffed green and gray armor.

When she couldn't see his face and only heard what he said through the voice modulator, it was very easy for her to remember that he was about two-and-a-half years older than her, fairly taller, and just as deadly.

"This is where people like us go," he said, as if it were obvious. "And as much as you try to deny it, you are one of us."

"One of 'us' meaning…?" Jia prompted further explanation.

"You're an assassin, a killer, not an innocent little schoolgirl or a girlfriend who's actually planning on settling down and making a life," Boba elaborated. Jia immediately went on guard.

"You don't know anything about me," she said, her voice a bit sharper than it had been moments ago. Boba cocked his head a little and slightly turned his head to the side so she would know he was looking at her.

"I know plenty about you, Blondie," he said, dark tones entering his voice. Jia bit her lip to help force down the butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't usually scared of people, and with her past history with the bounty hunter, she knew she had no reason to be scared of him.

But she could tell something had changed in him. His voice was darker, his stance more rigid and on-guard. He now wore armor when he went out to get something as a simple as a drink. And he seemed to think that he was better than her. And for a brief, terrifying moment, Jia thought so, too.

Boba saw Jia studying him from the corner of her eye as they went up to the bar counter. He could tell he had her slightly nervous and the realization pleased him a little. It was high time she knew her place in the pecking order. It also surprised him, though. He had always thought of Jia who was someone that couldn't be intimidated. He realized that her time on the rescue mission was slowly changing her, especially getting caught at the mansion. She slowly was starting to morph back into a regular person.

Boba felt a trickle of disappointment. He had always had a hate-love (not love-hate, because the hate definitely came first, the love second) with the assassin girl, and always thought of her as a worthy adversary, but also someone he could respect, and, like it or not, trust when it was absolutely necessary for him. She had, after all, broken him out of jail.

At the same time he was having all these thoughts, he was also using the scanners on his helmet to search for the _real_ reason he had come to the bar. Jia was just his cover story, a very good-looking one at that, but he was actually here on a job. He saw his target sitting in a dark corner with some buddies, obviously drunk.

"I'll have some beer," he heard Jia say, and realized they were at the counter. She elbowed him, not knowing he was paying attention.

"Your strongest," he ordered. Jia looked at him, raising her eyebrows.

"Stressed much?" she asked. Boba chuckled softly, but didn't answer. He kept his scanners on his mark, but kept his gaze on Jia, so he didn't miss her eye roll and silent exasperated sigh.

The bartender came back with the drinks and waited expectantly for the money. Boba sighed silently. There was no way he was going to play for two measly drinks, so instead he played a different card.

"Waiting for payment?" he asked the bartender. The bartender nodded and held out his hand. Boba dropped his voice to a more dangerous tone. "Then you obviously don't know who I am," he growled. "My name is Boba Fett."

The bartender visibly paled and scurried away. Jia snorted and rolled her eyes again, taking a sip of her drink. She swallowed and set the drink down on the counter.

"So, what was that?" she asked. "Are you, like, the "most feared bounty hunter" or something?"

"Or something," Boba agreed. Jia rolled her eyes a third time.

"Do you want a cookie from the cookie jar?" she asked, widening her eyes and talking slowly with false sweetness, and Boba realized she was mocking him. He was didn't respond for a moment, just took a sip of his drink, but then when he saw Jia turn away, he grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm back behind her back.

Some patrons turned to see what was going on, their eyes widening at the sight of Boba, but then went back to their drinks and their conversations. Jia was still. She could tell Boba didn't really mean her any harm.

"You plan on mocking me again?" he asked her quietly.

"No, dad," Jia muttered. Boba knew she was, in fact, mocking him a second time. He smiled behind his helmet and released her. He led her over to a booth and slid into the seat, making sure he could still see his target. Jia slid into the seat across from him and took another sip of her drink. They sat in silence for a while, Jia studying Boba from under her eyebrows and Boba using the 360 view on his helmet to study Jia, even though he was pretending to watch the mark.

Jia could tell Boba was here for another reason than to just get a drink, but because of his helmet, that was the best read she could get off of him. That armor really was starting to get on her nerves. She hated not being able to figure out someone's emotions and/or thoughts; it made her feel exposed, since she relied on that as much as she did on her training and her weapons.

Boba on the other hand was thoroughly enjoying the fact that this time Jia wasn't able to read him. That skill of hers had definitely freaked him out a little. He was only used to Jedi being able to do that.

Not that he would ever admit it to anybody, but he liked knowing that the assassin girl was on his side, at least for the time being. He knew it wasn't that he had feelings for her. Sure, he thought she was attractive and all, but it was different. It was the fact that her skills matched his, and that she had completed what he had been trying to do for much of his life: kill the person who killed his dad.

Boba sighed silently as he found his thoughts going back to Jia's body. She was currently dressed in combat boots (that didn't surprise him), black cargo pants that slid a little ways down her waist, and a black leather jacket over a gray hoodie. The jacket was zipped up and rode up a little, so a little skin was revealed. Her curly hair was parted on the side, casting some of her face in shadow even when she was in direct light, giving her a more sinister look.

Twin pistols were holstered at her waist, and he could see the bulge of her pocketknife case clipped to her belt. He saw Jia shift uncomfortably and glare up into his visor.

"Could you take that thing off?" she snapped at last. Boba smiled behind the mask.

"You don't like it?" he asked innocently. Jia narrowed her eyes into her 'what do you think?' look, and Boba chuckled. "Sorry, Blondie, but my helmet stays on. Besides, you've seen me with it off plenty of times."

"Yeah, but when you have it on, you just seem so…," Jia trailed off, not sure how to explain it. The helmet made him seem so much older, so much bigger and better. She didn't like it.

"So what?" Boba asked, leaning forwards over the table. Jia leaned forwards to meet him, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"So much more of an asshole," she said, biting her lip to keep from smiling.

"It's okay," Boba retorted. "You're one, too."

"Yeah, but at least I'm a sexy one," Jia was starting to thoroughly enjoy this argument. It reminded her of her banters with Red. "You're just, eh." She wrinkled her nose to emphasize her point.

"I'm 'eh'?" Boba asked incredulously. Jia nodded and finished off her beer. Boba was about to make a withering retort when his target stood up. He stood up as well, telling Jia, "Give me a second."

Jia looked around and saw the other man standing. She immediately knew what was going on. As soon as she was sure Boba's full attention was on the mark, she was out of the booth and circling around behind the other man. She had full confidence Boba could take him out without her help, but she didn't want to let him have all the fun.

She saw Boba tap the man on the shoulder. She saw him say something to him. She saw the man pull a gun out from under his shirt and fire it at the bounty hunter. She saw the man turn and run straight towards her.

She had her guns out and fired at him before he could comprehend what was happening. She hit him in the leg and in the shoulder and picked up his gun. She placed a foot on his chest, holding him down, and looked up at Boba.

"You need him dead or alive?" she asked him. Boba looked at her for a moment before answering, not being able to decide whether he was agitated or grateful for her intervention.

"Alive," he said at last. Jia nodded and rolled the man over, binding his wrists together tightly with a ziptie. She pulled him up off the ground and pushed him at Boba, who caught him and looked back up at Jia. He saw her half-smile mischievously.

"So, what was that about a job offer?" she asked him. He laughed and shook his head, leading the man out of the bar, with the assassin girl trailing after him.

* * *

Jia and Boba were back in the living room in Derek's apartment. Boba was helping Jia go through all the information by sorting the pictures out on the floor according to the situation they had been taken in. It was tedious work, especially considering there were hundreds of photographs and they weren't organized.

"So, most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy, huh," Jia said, somewhat distracted. Boba paused in the sorting and looked up at Jia. Her curly hair was pulled back in a braid and shimmered gold in the dim light, her bangs falling into her eyes from time to time. Her annoyed face when that would happen caused a small smile to appear on his face.

"Yeah, something like that," he responded, turning back to the photographs. He knew for certain he didn't have any feelings for her, but that didn't stop his body from reacting when she was sitting five feet away from him in only underwear and an overly large button-up shirt (that, thankfully, extended down to her upper thighs).

"So, do I say congratulations or I knew you could do it, or what?" Jia asked. Boba chuckled.

"Well, we both know that you didn't know I could do it, so don't say that," he said. Jia laughed.

"Why not?" she asked in fake confusion. "I'm fine with telling a lie."

"Or two or three," Boba retorted. He paused again in the sorting as a thought came to him. "Won't your boyfriend be opposed to this?" Jia looked up at him.

"Opposed to what?" she asked. Boba studied her for a moment, trying to see if she was messing with him. He saw that she was serious and it startled him before he finally figured it out. Or thought he figured it out. _She's probably been raised to be an assassin her entire life, so she doesn't know what would be considered appropriate in a civilian community, _he thought to himself.

He debated for a moment whether he should try to see what he could get away with or answer her question. Answering her question won out due to nothing more than the respect he had for her.

"Me sitting with you in your boyfriend's living room in the middle of the night, while you're dressed in..," he paused for a moment, trying to sum up her outfit. "…in _inappropriate_ clothing for a male visitor."

Jia turned startled blue eyes on him, as if the thought hadn't occurred to her.

"Maybe," she said at last, shrugging. "But he should be able to trust me by now and know I would never cheat on him." At the last part of her sentence, she narrowed her eyes at Boba, silently warning him to behave. He chuckled.

"I know better than to try anything with you," he assured her.

"You thought about it, though," she said sharply. "A moment ago. When I asked you 'opposed to what?'."

Boba silently cursed himself for not keeping his helmet on. It hadn't seemed necessary to keep it on when it was just him and Jia, but now he wished he had. He had forgotten just how good at reading people she was.

Well, he couldn't put it back on now, or that would look strange and just raise some serious questions out of Jia.

They fell into silence, working for many hours. Eventually, Jia felt her eyes starting to droop and decided to call it a night. She told Boba goodnight, and then promptly told him to get the hell out of Derek's apartment. He smiled and rolled his eyes at her.

She made her way to the bedroom and Boba was about to leave when he called her back.

"I'll contact you about that job offer," he said. Jia just nodded sleepily and yawned. Boba turned to leave when he thought of something else.

"Oh, and, Blondie," he called her back again. She turned annoyed blue eyes on him. "This person, whoever it is, has to be someone you know; otherwise they wouldn't be able to mess with your game like this." Jia knew he was referring back to their earlier conversation about the rescue mission. "You need to get out of _their_ game and start playing your own version. Their last move was placing Barriss where you could find her, right?"

Jia nodded, exhausted and wondering where on earth Boba was going with this. She focused her vision, forcing away the tiredness for one more moment, and saw the bounty hunter looking at her with a grim expression.

"Then it's your turn, your move," he said darkly. "Choose wisely."

* * *

_Alrighty, guys. Another chapter done. I think I'm having too much fun with this story. I don't know if any of you caught the oddity of the Hondo incident, or getting caught at the mansion, or rescuing Barriss so easily, but there is the explanation. Who do you think that person, that darn, meddling person who keeps messing up Jia's plans, might be?  
__Another question: should I do an update on Lylla and everyone back on Coruscant (or maybe they've gone off on another mission) or would you guys prefer I stick with Jia's part of the story? Let me know!_


	54. Just A Little Mix-Up

**Just A Little Mix-Up**

Boba looked carefully at Jia, giving her one last chance to back out.

"Are you sure?" he asked her. Jia's gave was steady and her voice was even as she replied.

"My choice, my move," she said, throwing his words back at him. "Do something they don't expect."

"Your boyfriend is probably going to be angry, and your Jedi friends will feel betrayed," Boba warned.

"I know what I'm getting into," Jia said in a sharp voice. Boba chuckled.

"No you don't, Blondie." Jia narrowed her eyes at him and cocked a hip.

"You forget I've "worked" with you before," she reminded him.

"You were my prisoner before," Boba corrected, finding the attitude she was giving him somewhat adorable. Jia gave him a look of pure mutiny and annoyance and Boba shook his head slightly. _What the hell am I getting myself into?_ he silently asked himself. "Don't get ahead of yourself, little girl."

At the last part, he drew himself up to his full height so he towered over Jia. She blinked slowly and he could tell she was forcing her face to remain the same and her body to stay still.

"My ship, my territory, my rules," he growled. Jia's lips formed a mutinous pout for a moment and he could tell she was fighting her natural instinct to argue with him. And maybe hit him a couple times upside the head.

"Fine," she agreed finally. Boba nodded down the hall, towards the room Jia had been kept when she had first been taken prisoner more than a year ago.

"That will be your room. Set it up however you like. Make it easy to pack up. Your stay isn't permanent."

"I should hope not," Jia muttered. She shouldered her backpack and made her way back to the room. Boba watched her leave and then walked into the cockpit and sat down in the pilot's seat and plugged the coordinates into the navigation computer.

Even though he was in his ship, he left his helmet on. Part of the reason was so Jia wouldn't be able to get a read off of him. The other part was because he had multiple cameras set up in all the rooms on his ship and it allowed him to keep an eye on Jia to make sure she wouldn't do anything… he decided stupid was the right word.

He saw her throw her backpack down onto the floor and pull out her laptop. Of course that would be the first thing she unpacked. He saw her open it and do something, and then she let out an annoyed huff and he knew she had discovered the location of all the cameras.

"Better to be safe than sorry, Blondie," he teased her through the ships main intercom.

"You're irking my nerves, Boba Fett," she snarled. He laughed.

"You're the one that agreed to joining me on this job," he reminded her.

"Oh, I hate you sometimes," she said with a sigh.

_Definitely a hate-love relationship,_ Boba thought. He saw Jia make some unseemly hand gestures at the camera and then returned to unpacking.

Boba sighed as he wondered what on earth he had gotten himself into.

* * *

Derek woke up to find the part of the bed where Jia always slept cold and empty. She had obviously been gone for some time. The house was dead. There weren't any lights on. No good smells came from the kitchen. No blinds had been opened to let in the sunlight. It was so eerie, Derek wondered if he were having a bad dream, but the logical little part in his mind knew that is was reality.

He slowly walked throughout the apartment, studying everything. On the kitchen counter there was a note written in Jia's handwriting. He studied her handwriting for a moment, not even paying attention to the words. The letters were small, compact, and neat, with the same sort of arching grace that Jia always moved with.

Finally, he focused on the words. His breath caught in his throat as he read it.

_Derek,_

_ Please don't be too angry. I didn't mean to leave this abruptly. I truly am sorry. I've had something come up in "my line of business." I have teamed up with a fellow bounty hunter. We left around 0300 this morning. Don't worry; this has nothing to do with you. I still love you very much. I know you aren't going to be happy with me. I hope you can forgive me someday for doing this to you._

_I will probably be gone for a long time. You shouldn't expect me back anytime soon. Please keep an eye on Barriss for me. I know it's a lot, but can you try to visit her at least every other day? I know you guys aren't really friends or anything, but it does her good. And she'd probably be willing to listen to you complain about me._

_On the flip side of this paper is a holo-recording. Give it to Barriss. You can watch it too, if you want. I don't have much time before I have to go. I will fall completely off the grid. I won't be able to contact you or anything. I will come back, though. I promise you that much. And I never break my promises. Again, I'm sorry. I love you very much._

_Kisses,  
Jia_

Derek read over the note multiple times, waiting for the information to sink in. Jia, the girl he loved, was gone. Just like that. He slowly sank into one of the high chairs placed at the counter, trying to reconcile with everything. _I will come back. I promise_. The words rang over and over in his head.

He tried to be angry like she had expected, but instead he only found sadness and understanding. Understanding that she was always going to be an assassin. Understanding that she would always end up having somewhere to be. Understanding that even though she loved him, the life she had chosen always called to her.

After a while, he flipped the paper over and, sure enough, was a holo-recording. His finger inched towards the play button, but then he decided not to. Jia had said he could watch it if he wanted, but it wasn't for him. It was for the Jedi.

Right the Jedi. He decided now would be a good time to visit her. He figured she would want to hear the news about Jia as soon as possible. He hadn't really gotten to know the Mirilian, but he knew that she and Jia had become particularly close over the past week or so.

Sighing, he put the piece of paper back onto the kitchen counter and went back into his room. He got quickly got dressed, grabbed a muffin and the note, and scrambled out the door. He stuffed the note into his pocket and made his way to the hospital.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door to the room he knew the Healer was staying in. A nurse cracked it open and peeked out.

"Can I help you?" she asked pleasantly.

"Uhh, yeah, I'm looking for Barriss," Derek said, shifting uncomfortably.

"She can't see anyone at the moment," the nurse said apologetically, but then Derek heard the Jedi's voice from inside the room.

"Ask who it is," she called softly. The nurse turned expectant eyes on Derek.

"Derek Orello," he said, making sure it was loud enough the Jedi could hear.

"Let him in, Cathy," Barriss ordered gently. The nurse seemed hesitant, but she complied, opening the door wide enough for Derek to enter the room.

"Where's Jia?" Barriss asked curiously, studying Derek with interest. Derek took another deep breath as he prepared himself to deliver the bad news.

"She left me this note and a holo-recording for you," he said after a pause. He handed Barriss the holo-recording and she looked at it, confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked at last. Derek let out a breath of sad defeat.

"Jia went off on a job," he informed the Healer quietly and gently, not quite sure how he should break the news. "She left early this morning. She's gone."

* * *

Jia stood in the tiny shower of the Slave I, letting the hot water wash over her. She was trying not to let her guilt of leaving Derek to go with Boba take over her; and failing somewhat. She knew he would have found the note by now and she hoped he wasn't too terribly furious with her.

She finished washing the conditioner out of her hair, the last step in her bathing routine, and turned off the water. She stood, shivering for a moment, and then stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her body. The tiny refresher was too small for her to bring in a change of clothes, but her room was directly across the hall from the refresher, so she wasn't too concerned.

She unlocked the door and it slid open, revealing Boba leaning casually against the wall in the doorway of her room. Jia shrieked and launched her scrubby at him. It was still soapy and dripping with water, so Boba's face became covered with suds that ran down into his armor.

"Oh, kriffing hell," Boba muttered as the hot water got into the cracks of his armor. Jia just smirked up at him and stuck out her tongue.

"That's what you get," she said smugly. "You dirty little son of a-" Boba cut her off.

"Okay, okay, I get your point," he said with a sigh. Jia smiled pleasantly up at him.

"I know you do." With that, she shut and locked the door to her room and then slid into some comfortable clothes consisting of sweatpants and a loose T-shirt. Once she deemed herself decent, she unlocked the door, but didn't open it.

She sat cross-legged on the blow-up mattress that was serving as her bed as she considered what she wanted to do next. After an internal debate that lasted about thirty minutes, Jia decided to try to contact Shadow Squad.

She got her laptop and worked on tracking them. It was easier than she remembered and found them fairly quickly. She got the transmission code she could use to contact them and opened a channel via the long-range transmitter she had integrated into her computer's hard drive. She used the camera and microphone of her laptop, wanting to be able to see her "brothers'" faces.

Sure enough, one answered her call, though she didn't recognize him.

"This is a private frequency," the clone said in a monotone voice. "Identify."

"Um, okay," Jia said, the word coming out more like a question. She figured this clone _must_ be new, since no one else from Shadow Squad would ask for such a thing. "My name is Jiana Sasha White."

The clone was quiet for a moment, and Jia could almost _feel_ his curiosity, but also his wariness. She waited patiently for him so say something.

"Who are you trying to contact, ma'am?" he asked at last. Jia ignored the question for the moment.

"What's your name?" she asked in a friendly voice tipping her head to the side curiously.

"Milo, ma'am," the clone answered promptly.

"Are you new to the squad?" Jia asked. She didn't recognize the name. She could tell Milo was somewhat irritated at the question from the way the silence before he answered was tense.

"You could say that, ma'am." There was only politeness in his voice, thinly masking his agitation with her.

"Forgive me," Jia said, trying to calm him down. "I am not kept updated on any changes to the squad." She could tell he was now thoroughly confused from the way his head tilted slightly to the side. She ignored it. "Can I please talk to Jax?" she asked. "Or Viz, if he's available."

"Ma'am?" Milo asked. She could hear his confusion mingled with curiosity.

"This is Shadow Squad, right?" Jia asked almost fearfully. Her heartbeat accelerated in fear that any of the clones had been killed.

"Yes, ma'am," Milo confirmed, nodding his head. And then another thought occurred to Jia.

"Who's your commanding general?" she asked.

"Kalinda Halcyon, ma'am," Milo answered her patiently.

"Has it been less than a year since you graduated Kamino?" she asked him. He did seem fairly young.

"Yes, ma'am," now Milo sounded thoroughly perplexed. Jia breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry, Milo. I got the wrong code. I was trying to contact some old friends," she told him. She paused for a moment. It didn't seem write to end the conversation on that, so she let herself get a little sentimental. "Good luck, Milo."

"Ma'am?" Milo sounded even more perplexed. Jia took a deep breath. She was truly starting to like this young clone.

"Don't let the war tear you down," she said. "And always trust in your brothers."

"Yes, ma'am," Milo said dutifully, and Jia smiled a little.

"And, as annoying as the Jedi are, trust them, too," she advised.

Milo was quiet for a second, than he said, "You would like our general, ma'am,"

"I don't get along very well with Jedi," Jia said, a sheepish smile on her face. "But, your Jedi must be doing _something_ right for you to speak up for her." She heard Milo let out a quiet chuckle.

"You'd be surprised, ma'am," he said. Jia felt a connection to this clone. She liked him. She decided if she ever ran across him again, she would do what she could to help him and this other Shadow Squad.

"Maybe I would be," she agreed. Then she sighed. "This has been a nice talk, Milo, but as I'm sure you know, time is always short. I need to contact the _original_ Shadow Squad I was looking for."

"Understood, ma'am," Milo said professionally, but Jia could hear the amusement in his voice. He was about to cut the connection, but Jia had one more thing to say.

"Oh, and Milo," she waited until his helmet tilted slightly towards her to indicate he was paying attention, "my name is Jia, not ma'am." She thought she heard him laugh before he severed the communication.

* * *

_Milo and the Jedi Kalinda Halcyon are not my OC's. Rather, they belong to laloga (I would suggest checking out her stories. I've been reading them non-stop, even in school, for the past week or so). Her squad of OC's is, coincidentally, also called Shadow Squad (trust me, I didn't name Jax's squad after them on purpose), so I thought it would be fun to add in this little mix-up between. _

_Yes, Jia has gone off with Boba. As much as it doesn't seem like it, all this randomness is part of a master plan. As always, feedback is welcome. Don't hesitate to let me know what you think. Hope you enjoyed! :)_


	55. Strength To Survive Pt 1

**Strength To Survive **

**(Part 1)**

Lylla stood next to Ciri's crib, watching her baby sleep. It had been a while since Jia had left and she still hadn't taken Ciri to the Temple. She didn't know if she could stand to say good-bye to her precious little angel. Ciri shifted in her sleep and then opened her eyes and looked up curiously at her mother. Lylla sighed as she realized Ciri had picked up on her emotions. She immediately tried to force them away and become calm and soothing so the baby would go back to sleep, but it was too late. Ciri was wide awake now.

"Hey, baby," Lylla said quietly. Ciri smiled up at her mother, her glowing silver eyes becoming even brighter. Lylla felt tears welling in her eyes when she thought about having to give Ciri over to the Jedi. It hurt her more than anything she had ever experienced.

Ciri's smiled faded and was replaced by a look of worry; or as worried as a baby could look. She held her hand out to her mother, and Lylla bent down. Ciri placed her hand on her mother's cheek and Lylla immediately felt a little calmer.

"I promised, baby," Lylla whispered to the child. "I promised Jia. I'm so sorry." With that, she buried her face in her arms and cried herself to sleep right there kneeling next to Ciri's crib.

* * *

The next morning Lylla made a call.

"Hello?" a soft, tentative voice answered, and, despite everything, Lylla felt her heart swell at the sound of Maddison's voice.

"Hey, Maddie, it's me, Lylla," Lylla said.

"Lylla!" Maddison squealed excitedly. Lylla could picture the girl bouncing up and down.

"Yeah, it's me," Lylla grinned a little, even though it was voice only. "I need you to do a favor for me."

"Okay," Maddison agreed, sounding curious. Lylla took a deep breath and then spoke before she could change her mind.

"I need you to get one of your Jedi Masters and come to my apartment. And you should probably bring some clone troopers, too," she said.

"Why?" Maddison asked.

"Just," Lylla's voice broke and she had to take another deep breath before continuing. "Just do it." She then cut the connection and looked over at Ciri, who was still asleep, tears starting to flow down her face again.

She went and made breakfast and then woke Ciri up. She played with her baby, let her paint and color and laugh, enjoying the time she had left with her child. It was the middle of the afternoon when there was a knock on the door. Lylla froze, her eyes widening, and she almost didn't open the door, but she knew there was no turning back now. She had made her decision.

Slowly, in a very trance-like manner, she stood, walked to the door, and opened it. In the hall was the green Nautolan Jedi that had come to interview her more than a year ago when Maddison had returned to the Temple, without any clones.

"Why did the Youngling Maddison tell us you requested our presence?" he asked her curiously. Lylla said nothing, just opened the door all the way, allowing the Jedi to enter her apartment. He looked around, noting the few changes since he had last been here. Then his eyes fell on Ciri and his head tipped to the side.

The little girl had been painting with her hands, but when she felt another presence in the apartment, she looked up, her silver eyes wide and curious. Her beautiful dark hair was pulled back in two short French braids. She was in a bright green dress that came down to her knees, and her tan skin was colored with a different assortment of now-dry paint.

"I'm guessing this is the reason," the Jedi said, nodding to Ciri. Lylla nodded and picked her child up off the ground. Ciri grinned up at her mother and placed her hands on her face, leaving two, small, handprints on Lylla's cheeks.

"I couldn't bring her to the Temple myself," Lylla whispered. "It was too hard." The green Jedi nodded in understanding.

"She is particularly strong with the Force," he said. "And she is very beautiful. Can I ask who her father is?" Lylla shook her head quickly, not sure if Snake would get in trouble for fathering a child, but not wanting to risk it. The Jedi seemed to sense her fear and he placed a calming hand on her arm.

"Be at peace," he soothed. "I was only asking because she looks almost like she has Echani heritage."

"Oh," Lylla said quietly, the single word catching in her throat. The Jedi was silent for a moment more and then reached for Ciri. Lylla had to steel her nerves before she managed to let him even touch her baby. As soon Ciri was in his arms, the Jedi became still, and Ciri watched him in her curious manner as he closed his eyes for a long moment.

When his eyes finally opened again, he looked at Lylla.

"She will be well taken care of, I assure you," he told Lylla. Lylla nodded and swallowed hard.

"Please make sure she knows that she is loved," she whispered at last, tears starting to leak out of her eyes again. The Jedi nodded.

"I will make certain she is aware of it," he promised. Lylla nodded and then took Ciri from him.

"You're going to go with this nice Jedi," she told her child. "He is going to make sure you are taken care of and grow up to be a Jedi, just like him." Ciri tipped her head to the side as she listened, and then frowned slightly.

"Mama come?" she asked. Lylla held back a sob.

"Mama has to stay here," she said. "Mama isn't like you. You're special, baby, and you're going to be with people like you."

"Mama come," this time Ciri said it with a trace of stubbornness. Lylla just shook her head, not able to formulate any other words. The Jedi decided it was time to step in and gently took Ciri from Lylla's grasp.

He turned to Lylla to say something, but the young mother looked like she was about to pass out, and he decided it would be better to keep his mouth shut. Instead, he sent her a tendril of calming energy hoping it would help. It did to some extent, and he saw the panic recede from Lylla's eyes for a moment.

Ciri, suddenly fully understanding what was happening, started thrashing and squirming in the Jedi's grasp, trying to get back to her mother. Lylla swooped towards her, but instead of taking her back, she gently took the baby's face in between her hands and gave her a lingering kiss on the forehead. Ciri calmed for a moment and smiled a little.

"Mama," she sighed happily. But then Lylla took a step back and the Jedi started out the door. Ciri let out a shrill scream and started struggling again, but Lylla stood still, forcing herself to remain where she was.

She didn't know how long she stood in the center of her suddenly-quiet and too-empty house, but it was well into the evening before she even closed the door. As the door closed with a '_click'_ Lylla lost control over her emotions completely and fell against the door, sliding down to the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest, buried her face in her arms, and wept. Sometime in the night, she started falling asleep, and as she did, praying she would never wake up.

* * *

Boba sat in the cockpit of the Slave I. He wasn't piloting, since his ship was on autopilot, but he couldn't really think of anything he wanted to do at the moment. So, instead, he was sitting in the pilot's seat, watching Jia via the ship's cameras that sent the images to his helmet.

She was currently doing something on her laptop, but the screen was facing away from any of the cameras, so he couldn't see what. He had a hunch she had done that on purpose, and the idea made him roll his eyes in exasperation. She acted so childish sometimes.

Boba yawned as he watched her. He had no idea what was so interesting about that little piece of equipment, but he could tell Jia loved it. She was constantly on it, doing one thing or another: running searches, hacking databases, contacting old friends, making illegal money transactions, tracking someone; the list went on and on.

Since Jia wasn't doing anything worth watching, and Boba had nothing interesting to do, he let his mind wander, which was something he didn't often do. Surprisingly, his thoughts were on Jia, and what she had said to him more than a year ago.

Her words rang in his ears. _"A terrorist kills to protect his rights, a soldier dies to protect someone else's." "Have you ever done something because it was what your father would have wanted you to do?" "Killing me would've hurt the Jedi more than you could ever know." "You want to know what it's like to be the hand of justice? Go ahead, pull that damn trigger."_

Boba sighed and shifted in his seat. She had done something reckless and stupid in that interrogation room, but it had worked. She had gotten the information she wanted.

"The hand of justice," he murmured thoughtfully. That was what this new job was. They were the hand of justice. The ones who were going to play good guy for a while. But first they had to find the location of their mark.

"I got it!" Jia's voice exclaimed right in his ear. Boba jumped and his eyes, which had closed, snapped open and through his helmet's visor, he saw Jia kneeling on the floor in front of him, grinning up at him innocently.

Boba's first reaction was to notice how she had placed herself in the position of submission, silently telling him he was the dominant one at the moment. His second reaction was to note that she was, once again, dressed in only underwear and an overly large shirt. His third reaction was to let out a growl of annoyance.

"What do you have?" he said with a resigned sigh. Jia's grin widened.

"I know how to find our mark," she explained. "Since she stopped at Kamino for a couple days, we go there and access whatever records they keep of off-worlders coming by for a visit."

"And how are we going to get to see their records?" Boba asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Ask them?"

"Actually, yeah," Jia said. By her tone of voice, she could have been talking about the weather. Boba opened his mouth to tell her it would never work, but then he remembered when she had told him she was going to break him out of jail by "walking him right out the front doors." That had been true, to an extent. Now he realized that the same sort of idea was going to be applied.

"Alright, fine," he said. "How many times do I have to shoot you this time?" Jia laughed, and he knew she was also remembering the "prison-break."

"Well, you'll probably have to do more than just shoot me," she said, her face morphing from playful to serious, and Boba became wary.

"What?" he asked suspiciously. Jia sighed.

"Are you up to date on the most current methods of interrogation?" she ignored his question.

"Maybe," Boba drew out the word. "Why?" Jia just nodded.

"Well, prepare whatever tools and things you'll need for an interrogation," she instructed. "You'll have use of them soon enough."

* * *

_So, in case you haven't sort of figured this out, my chapters will start to be shorter. This is part 1 of three different parts. There was the Lylla-update. Yes, I know it was sad, but it was necessary. Anyways, what do you think Jia's plan is for getting the information she needs? Hope you enjoyed!_


	56. Strength To Survive Pt 2

**Strength To Survive**

**Part 2**

Boba looked over at Jia, who was sitting in the co-pilot's chair busily doing something on her laptop.

"We're almost to Kamino," he reported. "I estimate about thirty minutes."

"Mmkay," Jia murmured distractedly. She glanced up just in time to see Boba roll his eyes and she looked at him indignantly. "Don't get an attitude," she snapped. Boba just glared at her, and she returned the look evenly.

"You're gonna wanna get ready for some harsh weather," Boba said at last. "Kamino isn't a nice place."

"I know," Jia said, turning away from him and standing up. She stretched and Boba looked away as the too-big shirt rode up, feeling a flash of annoyance that she didn't feel the need to put on a more decent outfit.

"Don't you have anything else you can where?" he growled, turning back around. Jia looked at him innocently.

"Why? Does my outfit bother you?" she asked, her voice dripping with honey-sweet sarcasm.

_If only you didn't have a boyfriend._ The thought came to Boba's mind before he could stop it, and he saw Jia tip her head to the side, pursing her lips curiously. Boba suddenly wished his helmet was on.

"You know I'm wearing this _just_ to bother you, right?" Jia asked him.

"I hate you sometimes," Boba sighed. Jia smiled brightly.

"It's okay, I hate you sometimes, too," she told him. Before he could respond, she was out of the cockpit and in her room, dressing in clothing she knew he would consider "appropriate."

Her outfit consisted of black skinny jeans, a thick brown braided belt with a big, silver buckle, and an orange button down shirt that was tucked into her pants. She rolled up the sleeves to the middle of her forearms and left three buttons undone at the top of the shirt so the opening dipped just low enough to annoy her fellow bounty hunter. She put on a long necklace with a silver arrowhead as the charm. Brown cowboy boots and silver owl earrings encrusted with lapis lazuli stones.

She rejoined Boba in the cockpit, noting with amusement how he had replaced his helmet, but she could still feel his gaze on her, and could very easily imagine the exasperated and annoyed grimace on his face.

"Better?" she asked sarcastically.

"You're impossible," was all Boba said. Jia just nodded in agreement, sliding back into the co-pilot's chair.

"So, you haven't yet explained to me your plan," Boba complained after a moment. Jia sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, here's the simple version: I go in, do the talking, and then tell you what you're supposed to do. Until I come to get you, you remain here on the ship," she said. She raised an eyebrow. "Happy?"

Boba muttered a few choice words in the language Jia recognized as Mando'a under his breath in response, and she figured he was probably cussing her out. It brought a smile to her lips as she suddenly realized that the relationship she had with the bounty hunter was a mix of the relationships she had had with Red and Eagle.

"Careful," she teased, "or I might end up washing your mouth out with soap and water." Boba snorted.

"I wish you would," he said in a dangerous voice as they dropped out of hyperspace and he focused on landing.

"Oh, and what would you do?" Jia asked him, shutting down her laptop and placing it in the small storage compartment under her seat as Boba landed his ship on one of the platforms of Tipoca City.

"Do it, and you'll find out," Boba told her. Jia smirked victoriously.

"You wouldn't do anything," she said. When he didn't answer, she got up, tucking her phone into her back pocket and her knife into her boot. She grabbed a tiny pistol that was about as big as her hand and tucked it into her waistline at the small of her back. She also armed herself with the hunting knife, slinging it across her shoulders so it rested against her back. She slipped into her black leather jacket and finally deemed herself ready to go, then looked at Boba.

"Okay, Baldy, just do what I say, and this'll all go smoothly." Again, Boba didn't answer and Jia rolled her eyes. She turned to leave, but suddenly Boba grabbed her wrist and backed her up against the wall. His helmet had been removed and she could see a wild light in his eyes.

"I wouldn't do anything?" he asked her in a dangerously soft voice, resting his forehead on hers. Jia stared at him uncomprehendingly with shock for a few seconds, than seemed to snap out of it.

"Oh, fine," she sighed, "I was wrong. So I'll just rephrase what I said, how 'bout that? How 'bout…. You aren't as scary as you think you are." Boba kept her pinned for a moment longer, than rolled his eyes and released her.

"Get the hell out of here," he said. Jia returned his eye roll, but didn't stick around to annoy him anymore.

* * *

For once, it wasn't raining, and Jia was grateful for that. Thought the night sky was filled with clouds, not a single drop fell from the sky.

Under the cover of darkness, she made her way into the intricate network of buildings. She figured most everyone would be asleep, except for maybe a few units doing night training or a Kaminoan up late working on the next big science project.

Not really knowing where she was going, Jia made her way to the barracks. She paused here and studied the barracks, remembering full well all the craziness she had gotten into with Shadow Squad. The memories brought a small smile to her lips.

"Oh, Jax, what the hell have I done, setting the lot of you loose on the galaxy?" she murmured to herself. She had forgotten how good clone hearing was, and started when one of the sleeping chambers slid open. A clone that looked to be about sixteen, which meant he was about eight, sat up and looked at her in confusion.

Jia mentally cursed and then approached him cautiously.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," she whispered. "Go back to sleep." He looked at her curiously.

"You're a girl," he said at last, surprise lighting in his eyes. Jia smiled and nodded.

"Last time I checked." The clone flushed in embarrassment and looked down. Jia indicated to the bunk, silently asking if she could sit down. The clone scooted over, making room for her. She slid off her boots and sat down cross-legged, noticing how tense the clone seemed.

"Relax, I don't bite," Jia teased him gently. He smiled and then looked down, though Jia could see him studying her from under his eyebrows. "What's your name?"

"Slider," he answered promptly. _Wonder where that came from, _Jia thought to herself.

"Well, in case you were wondering, my name is Jia," she introduced herself.

"Jia," Slider repeated, enjoying the way the name rolled off his tongue. Jia smiled at him and tipped her head to the side, her sharp eyes catching the way his eyes barely widened suddenly.

"What did you figure out?" she asked him.

"You're _the_ Jia," he said. "The one that worked with Shadow Squad."

_Oh, dear Lord, _Jia thought, _please don't let me be well known. That's not good._

Out loud she said, "How do you know my name?" Slider shrugged.

"People talk, mainly the Sergeants, and we cadets listen," he told her. Jia let out a groan and fell forwards. Slider looked at her curiously. "What's wrong?"

"Do you know _what_, not _who_, but _what_ I am?" Jia asked, her voice muffled by the mattress. She turned her head to the side to look up at Slider and saw him shake his head. She sighed and sat back up. "I'm an assassin, and one of our biggest rules is that our identity remains a secret," she explained.

"If it helps, I only recognized your name, not _you_," Slider offered helpfully. Jia smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I guess," she said. "But still, people knowing my name is not necessarily a good thing." Slider nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but then froze and tensed. Jia's phone let out a soft beep, warning her that someone was approaching. She quickly slid off Slider's bed and slipped her boots back on.

"Pretend to be asleep," she whispered. "And it would probably be a good idea for you if you forgot we ever met, much less spoke."

"But-," Slider started to protest, but Jia cut him off.

"If the Kaminoans find out that you talked to me, they'll probably have you reconditioned," she hissed. She had learned about the horrid discharging of clones from the GAR the last time she had been on Kamino. She saw the terror in Slider's eyes at the mention of being reconditioned and he dutifully slid back into his sleeping chamber.

Jia melted into the shadows and pressed her back against the wall, watching and waiting for whoever it was.

"I know one of you little brats is awake," Jia groaned mentally as she recognized the voice as belonging to Bric. "Come out from hiding and maybe you won't get in as much trouble."

If any of the clones woke up, they smartly stayed safely inside their sleeping chambers. Hoping maybe she could sneak out undetected, Jia moved from her hiding place and crept towards the door. Bad mistake, within seconds, she felt a gun lodged in between her shoulder blades.

"Well, well, well," Bric said. "Looks like we have a visitor." He shouted at the clones to wake up to watch this unscheduled, spontaneous lesson. _Aww, hell_. He waited a couple minutes for all the sleeping chambers to open, and then made Jia walk to where all the cadets could see her and Bric.

"Watch and learn, cadets, how to deal with an unwanted visitor," Bric said, and Jia could almost hear the satisfaction in his voice. "You very simply shoot them. Like this."

Jia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had been holding in her training and her instincts for over a year now, trying to become a regular teenage girl again. Now she let it all loose, like a river being released from a dam. Adrenaline rushed through her, sharpening her senses and making her hyper-aware of everything.

As Bric pulled the trigger, she dropped to the floor and rolled into his legs, knocking them out from under him. She jumped out of the way as he crashed down and threw her jacket off, revealing the wicked-looking hunting knife. She pulled it out of its sheath and kicked Bric's gun away from him. She would focus on obtaining it later, as it was a pretty nice gun, and a girl could never have enough weapons.

Bric stood up and spit to the side. He eyed Jia and the knife, an eyebrow rising. He nodded at the knife.

"That's a new addition," he commented. Jia shrugged.

"I like to mix things up." Bric nodded and then produced a vibro-blade from a hidden space in his armor.

Jia could feel the gazes of the cadets on her and Bric, but she focused mostly on the main threat standing in front of her. It had been a good amount of weeks since she'd had a good fight. This was bound to be interesting.


	57. Strength To Survive Pt 3

**Strength To Survive**

**(Part 3)**

As much as she had wished she wouldn't, Lylla did wake up many hours later in the early morning. She went to mirror and studied her reflection. Her mascara was smudged and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was a mess on top of her head.

She placed her hands flat on top of her dresser and leaned over it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her first though was _what would Jia tell me to do?_ Her second thought was _she would tell me to get up off my ass and stop moping because it won't help. She would tell me that I need to do something productive. _With that, Lylla took another deep breath and stood up straight. She decided taking a shower was the first step.

Thirty minutes later, she stepped out of the shower, feeling refreshed and somewhat better. She changed into her work outfit and prepared herself to go out in public. She applied make-up to hide the fact that she had been crying and plastered on a fake smile. She was almost out the door when the bell rang. Curious, Lylla went to see who it was. She opened the heavy wooden door, and then froze and stared at her visitor in surprise.

"Hi," Jacob said, running a hand self-consciously through his black hair. "Can I come in?"

* * *

Jia hit the floor with a thud and rolled out of the way right before Bric's foot came down where her head had been a second before. She leapt up, dodged his knife, and got behind him. He turned to face her and she held out the hunting knife. It got between the pieces of his armor, cutting into the back of his legs. Bric let out a yell of pain and collapsed onto the ground. Jia stood up fully and walked towards him, breathing heavily. She didn't see the vibro-blade until it was flying through the air.

Letting out a curse, she dropped to the ground, and the blade flew over her head, impaling itself in the wall. Jia decided she would try to get the knife as well as the gun; both were fine weapons. She stood up again and made her way over to Bric. She looked down at him for a moment, contempt gleaming in her blue eyes, before she pulled him to his knees and held her knife at his throat.

"See this?" she asked the watching cadets. There was a soft chorus of "yes, ma'am," and Jia nodded once. "This is how you beat a bounty hunter who has no clue who the hell he just made an enemy out of."

"You were ordered away from Kamino. It's illegal for you to come back," Bric snarled. Jia raised an eyebrow and leaned down so she could talk directly in his ear.

"And yet here I am," she hissed. "You don't care about the law. You care about the fact that I just beat your ass and embarrassed you in front of the clones you're supposed to train." Bric remained silent, and Jia knew was right. She held him prisoner for a moment longer before she pushed him away from her and re-sheathed her knife.

She picked up Bric's gun and yanked the knife out of the wall on her way out. As she passed by Slider's bunk, she winked at him and tossed him the knife, which he caught with the reflexes bred into him.

"All yours," she mouthed to him, and he smiled and nodded his thanks to her.

She made her way down the halls, towards Lama Su's office. Like she had predicted, just about everyone was asleep, and she relished the silence. So, it made her start when her comlink went off with a quiet series of beeps; Boba's "ringtone." Jia pushed away her surprise and answered in what she hoped was an appropriately annoyed voice.

"What?"

"Well, damn, Blondie," Boba said. "Just calling to tell you to hurry up. I'm getting kriffin' bored out here."

"Calm your balls and be patient," Jia snapped. It took Boba a moment to figure out what she meant by "calm your balls," but when he did, he let out a snort of laughter and rolled his eyes.

"Anything else I can help you with?" Jia asked.

"Yeah, actually, you could get some more food while you're out in the world and I'm stuck in here. I get really hungry so-," Jia cut him off and let out a huff of annoyance.

She finally found the office belonging to the Prime Minister and, after checking to see if he was in there, knocked softly on the door. There was a moment and then he answered.

"Can I help you?" he asked Jia in a soft, melodic accent.

"Yes, my name is Jiana Sasha White," Jia introduced herself, "and I think you can."

* * *

"No," Boba said, shaking his head. "Absolutely not."

"What?" the word came out like a squeak and Jia cleared her throat. "Why not?" She narrowed her eyes at Boba and cocked a hip. "I would've thought you would jump for joy at the chance to properly interrogate me."

"Well, first off, it's _you_, and you always keep a part of the big picture from me, so then you always have a reason to fight me," Boba told her.

"I have to agree with the bounty hunter on this one," Shaak Ti said. She glanced at Boba apprehensively and Boba felt a flash of appreciation that Jia had left his identity a secret, just saying he was "a fellow hunter." He knew the Jedi and everyone else would have figured out he was a Mandalorian warrior, but that was about it.

"That's not fair though," now Jia sounded like she was whining, and Boba almost expected to see her stomp her foot and flip her hair. "I can take it. I've been trained to resist interrogation and torture."

"What would the point of it be?" Lama Su spoke up for the first time, and Jia noted with relief he seemed mildly interested in her plan.

"The clones are trained how to interrogate and how to resist interrogation/torture, but they don't know what it's like to just watch. It'll be good for them. Show them exactly what techniques are most effective and what aren't," Jia explained. "Take the oldest, the ones closest to graduation. It won't affect too much of their training if their schedules are disrupted for a day or two."

"Would you mind further explaining how it would benefit the training of our clones?" Lama Su asked in the same monotonic, slightly intrigued, slightly bored tone. Jia took a deep breath and thought for a moment before she complied.

"It's one thing to _train_ to be tortured or _train_ to interrogate someone. It's another thing entirely to actually witness it first-hand, whether they're being interrogated, doing the interrogating, or merely watching," Jia could see not everyone was fully convinced so she tried a different tactic. "The war is far from over; we all know that. We also know that the Separatists are growing in the planets who support them. More people means more prisoners. The soldiers need to be prepared for when the prisoners come."

Shaak Ti opened her mouth to speak, but Lama Su held up his hand, gently telling the Jedi to shush so he could finish hearing Jia's explanation.

"I know the Jedi like to do the interrogating, but there will be a time when it's just the clones," Jia's eyes became dark and her voice dropped from just explanatory to deadly serious. "Trust me when I say that. And the clones _need to be ready._ I _know_ their training is supposed to prepare them for _everything_, but being trained for it and actually experiencing it are two different things entirely. I know. I've gone through training before. I've also gone through torture, and I might've been _trained _and _prepared_ for it, but I wasn't _ready_ for it. That's the point of this. To _ready_ the Republic's soldiers, not just prepare them.

"And as a… _fee_ for our services, I get access to whatever records I want, no questions asked, no tracking or recording my movements, nothing."

Shaak Ti grew quiet and Jia could tell she was considering what she had said. Lama Su blinked slowly, but otherwise showed no reaction to Jia's little speech. Boba, on the other hand, clenched his fist at his side, and Jia could tell he still was having problems with her plan.

She pulled him out into the hallway, leaving the Jedi and the Prime Minister in the privacy so they could discuss her plan if they wanted, but also giving her a chance to talk with Boba without them overhearing.

"Okay, what the hell is your problem?" she asked him in a low voice, ignoring the curious looks they were getting from passing clones.

"I should be asking you that," Boba snapped, and Jia took a step back away from him, surprised by his sudden anger. His hand clenched into a fist again and Jia was suddenly flashed back to one of her arguments with Red and Eagle.

* * *

"_I can do this," Jia insisted, holding her ground against the two older boys. Red crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at her while Eagle shook his head._

"_No, Archangel, you can't," he said. "You aren't ready enough yet. You've only been with us for four months."_

"_I'm better prepared than you think," Jia said, letting attitude take over, cocking a hip and narrowing her eyes. Red's jaw tightened as he restrained himself from interrupted Eagle, and Eagle's hand clenched into a fist at his side._

"_Don't assume anything," Red warned in a tight voice. Jia opened her mouth to snap at him…_

* * *

She shook herself out of the memory and looked at Boba. She took a deep breath and handled him the way she had handled her team members during that particular disagreement.

She assumed a less threatening and more submissive posture and approached him again, telling him with her body language she was calling a truce.

"Trust me," she pleaded quietly, gently uncurling Boba's clenched hand holding it in both of hers. Like she had with Red and Eagle, she made herself seem mentally and physically younger and more innocent; easier to trust, easier to give in to.

Boba sighed and Jia saw him relax slightly. She held back a triumphant smirk, knowing her plan had worked.

"You're gonna get yourself killed one day," Boba growled. Jia just smiled at him and gently squeezed his hand. She felt his arm stiffen, but he didn't pull away. _Odd._ She released his hand and took a step back.

"So, you'll do it?" she asked. Boba let out another sigh, but he nodded.

"Yes, I'll do it." Jia nodded once at him and pursed her lips.

"You're very gullible, you know that?" she asked. She grinned mischievously at him before turning and returning the room, and Boba forced down his anger, knowing she had just manipulated him.

As his anger receded, a small smile spread across his face. _You're not the only one who can play games, Blondie. I can, too._

* * *

Boba bound Jia securely to a chair, tying her hands together behind the back of the chair and her ankles to the legs. He placed a blindfold over her eyes and tied it behind her head.

"To tight?" he asked. Jia shook her head, slightly surprised by his question. _Why the hell is he starting to be nice… er to me?_

"You're going to be interrogating for information," she reminded him. "You're not supposed to be being nice to me."

"The cameras aren't on yet; they're still getting everyone situated," he told her. Jia heard him moving around on her left and right side and then felt the chair go completely still, despite the fact she kept shifting slightly in it. She knew he had secured the chair by wrapping chains around the legs and connecting the chains to the wall.

"So?" she asked. She heard Boba stop moving and felt his shadow drape across her, indicating he was standing directly in front of her. She heard him take a breath like he was about to say something, but then he just moved off to the side, preparing something else.

"Anything you want to tell me before I beat the hell out of you?' he asked after a moment.

"You mean, any past injuries or anything you would like to know about so you can use them against me?" Jia rephrased his question. She snorted and rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see. "No, thanks. Appreciate the offer, though."

Boba started to say something else, but then the lights suddenly shut off, the signal that the clones were ready and waiting. Boba took a deep breath to ready himself, then he turned on the light directly over Jia, casting only her in light and everything else in shadows.

With a blink of his eye, he turned on the multiple cameras that had been set up in the room to give the watching soldiers a view from every angle. Another blink brought up the video and audio from the room the clones were in, and he saw them all sitting expressionless, watching the screen. Then El-les walked to the front of the room and started to speak.

"This is a special demonstration on interrogation/torture, prepared specially to _ready_-" he used Jia's word "-you all for when the time comes when you need to put these skills to use."

The cadets nodded as one, and then turned their attention back to the screen. Boba blinked again, sending the feed to the edge of his vision, so he could keep an eye on the reactions of the younger clones.

Slowly, he stepped out of the shadows and approached Jia. Time for being nice was up. Now it was a game. The rules were simple:

1. Pretend not to know each other

2. Pretend to hate each other

3. Pretend to want to kill each other

4. Don't pretend to be extracting information

Boba stopped in front of Jia and she tilted her head up towards him. He knew she was assessing what she could even though she was blindfolded. He had no clue how he should start, and she seemed to realize that.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice honey-sweet and dripping with sarcasm.

"Be quiet and listen, _chakaar,_" Boba hissed, surprised at how easy it was to pretend to be angry with the seventeen-year-old sitting in front of him. Jia nodded her head slightly, a small signal of compliance. Boba pulled up a chair and sat down in it backwards, facing Jia, even though she couldn't see him. "You stole a large amount of money from me, did you not?"

Jia grinned slightly and nodded again.

"That was me," she confirmed.

"And then blowing up my ship?" Boba asked.

"That was fun," Jia said smugly. Boba was still for a moment and then he smacked her hard across the face, her head snapping to the side. Jia swallowed and slowly turned her head back to face him. He saw her cheek was bright red and knew it had to be painful, but Jia didn't show any sign of discomfort and he didn't have time to feel guilty.

In the corner of his eye, he saw the young clones' shocked expression at his assault on the assassin girl, and suddenly realized what Jia had meant. They were _prepared_ to do an interrogation, but they weren't _ready._

"What about when you alerted my mark to my presence at that bar on Tatooine?" he continued with the fake accusations.

"Huh, I thought I did better at hiding my identity," Jia said, tipping her head to the side.

"And rigging my speeder to explode when I turned it off?"

"I'm kinda proud of that one." Boba nodded slowly and then struck her again on the other cheek. Jia bit her lip as she turned back to face him.

"Let's establish one thing," Boba growled. "I will stop at nothing to get the information I want."

"Fair enough," Jia said, shrugging as best she could while being bound, "but you should also know who you're dealing with. I don't like to share my secrets."

"How about sharing who you're working for?" Boba spat the question at her. Jia remained silent. No jabs, no taunts, but no answer. Boba repeated his question in a low, dangerous voice. "I said, who are you working for?"

Again, he was greeted by silence. In the corner of his eye he could see the watching cadets were tense with anticipation, wondering what he would do next. To answer their unspoken question, Boba stood up and slowly walked around behind Jia. He grabbed her ponytail and yanked her head back, and she emitted a small cry of surprise, but he knew it was just an act. The Jia he knew wouldn't let such a thing catch her off guard, especially during an interrogation.

He unsheathed a small knife from where it was stored in his armor and held it to her neck, letting her feel the blade, but not applying pressure. Jia silent for a moment more, but when she spoke, he heard a steely resolve in her voice.

"You won't kill me," she said. "Not 'till you get the answers to your questions." Boba shrugged one shoulder.

"You're right," he said. He suddenly moved the knife, cutting her upper left arm. Jia let out a hiss of pain, but otherwise didn't show any sign of discomfort or hurt. Boba decided it was time for payback for what she had done earlier.

He moved the knife across her upper chest, the tip pressing into her skin, leaving a small trail of scarlet blood. Jia swallowed hard but made no sound.

"You're employer isn't worth it," he murmured to her as he worked with the knife, one hand still holding her ponytail tightly.

"Neither are you," she managed to grind out. Boba instantly pressed harder with the knife and Jia bit down hard on her lip; hard enough for the skin to break.

"I'll… _compensate _you for your troubles," he tried to negotiate. Jia scoffed.

"That's a nice way of saying you'll kill me after I tell you what you want."

Boba hit her hard in the back of the head with the hilt of the knife.

"_Who is your employer_?" Jia shook her head slightly, as if shaking the pain and dizziness away, before she smirked up at him.

"Probably the same person as one of yours," she hissed. Realizing they were just going in circles, Boba released her ponytail and walked back around to stand in front of her, turned the chair around, and sat down again.

"I can trace your transactions," he said in a low voice. "I'll find out anyways. It'll just be easier on you to tell me."

"There's a reason I do hard creds only," Jia snapped at him. Boba's response was to kick her in her left knee. She gasped and he saw a single tear appear from underneath the blindfold. His Guilt-O-Meter bumped up a couple notches, but he knew it was just an act. _Just an act_, he reminded himself.

"Employer," Boba said, over-enunciating each syllable and vowel. Jia didn't snap at him again, but she didn't give him an answer either. _Silence is better than taunts._ When she didn't say anything after a couple minutes, he took his knife out again and drew it down her arm, tracing the path of an old scar. Jia let out a quiet whimper and squirmed slightly, trying to escape the knife.

"You're the one hurting from your lack of response, not me," Boba pointed out. As he said the words, he glanced at the feed of the cadets, and saw some of them trying not to wince in sympathy. Others seemed to be forcing themselves to not look away. _It's because she's not an adult yet and female. A child, by law. They're trained not to harm women or children unless the latter tries to harm them first._ He suddenly had a whole new appreciation for Jia's plan.

"I'm not hurting," Jia snarled at last. Boba drew his knife sharply across her leg, cutting her pants and skin. He drew the knife down her shin, the blood trailing after.

"You sure?" he asked when he sat back up straight. Jia's jaw was locked, and he knew she had gone into torture-survival mode.

"Yes," she hissed through clenched teeth. Boba nodded and then got up and started cutting through the rope bonds. As soon as she was free, but before she could do anything, Boba yanked her up and dragged her as she stumbled over to a large basin filled with water.

He blinked, turning no the light that was directly above them, and then forced Jia down onto her knees. He could feel how tense she was and knew she could smell the water, which meant she knew what was coming next. He could only hope she was prepared. And then he placed his hand on the back of her neck and forced her face down into the water, holding her there for several moments.

When he finally let her back up, she was gasping for breath, water streaming down her face. Boba gave her a chance to take one breath and then forced her under again. The second time Jia came up, he leaned down to speak directly in her ear.

"I still need an answer to my question," he hissed.

"You want an answer to the question," Jia spat at him. "There's a difference." Boba forced her back under the water, holding her there longer than he previously had. When he finally released her neck, she came up, almost unconscious. She coughed and spluttered, vomiting up several mouthfuls of water.

Boba let go of her completely and she collapsed onto the floor, still retching. He stared down at her in contempt, noticing what a mess she had become in the little time he had been "interrogating" her. Her hair had come partially undone from the ponytail, falling down around her face in soaking wet waves. Blood was both dry and wet on her skin and her clothes were torn from his assault with the knife.

"I thought you would be more of a challenge," he told her when she finally started breathing normally again. Jia let out a quiet growl and suddenly leapt at him. She would have hit him directly in the chest, knocking him to the floor, except the knee he had kicked gave out as she leapt and her aim was off.

Boba threw her off of him and Jia hit the floor with a painful thud. He grabbed her by her ponytail again and yanked her up off the ground. Jia let out a whimper, but it was so quiet he doubt anyone else heard.

"I'm challenge enough," she threw the words at him. Boba just released her ponytail and she fell onto her knees. This time she did let out a cry of pain as her injured knee hit the floor numbingly hard. With her hands still bound behind her back and her feet still bound together, she looked very pathetic, blood dripping down the side of her face.

But then Boba pulled up the image the cadets were seeing through the cameras and was slightly surprised at what he saw. One of the cameras had zoomed in on Jia and she glared up at it. She still looked very pathetic, her hair clinging to her face, water running in small rivulets down her cheeks, blood dripping into one eye, on her knees with her hands and feet bound; but she was glaring up into the camera and Boba saw what any other of her interrogators must have seen while they questioned her: a barely contained fire raging in her dark blue eyes, silently telling everyone she wasn't beaten yet, and giving her interrogator a death sentence.

* * *

_Okay, so there it is! The last part of this little "series." I know it seems all random, and not very pertinent in any way, shape, or form, but it'll all wrap up nicely in the end (I think). Also, this chapter is back to my average length: about 4.000 words. Yay! Anyways, hope you enjoyed and let me know what you think! (Oh, and yes, Jacob is back, but not in the way you probably think.)_


	58. Three, Two, One

**Three, Two, One**

Jia stood, leaning against a railing, watching a training exercise that was happening a floor below her. She had fixed herself up after the "interrogation," applying medicine and bandages where they were needed. For her left knee, she had needed to steal a brace from the med center in Tipoca City, and currently had it on. She tried to put weight fully on her left leg and grimaced when pain lanced up it.

"Damn you, Baldy," she muttered to herself. "It had to be that knee."

She had injured it during her training with Wolffe, and it would act up sometimes, especially when someone intentionally aimed to hurt it. Jia was so caught up in her annoyance at the bounty hunter, she didn't notice the presence of someone else beside her until they let out a soft sigh. She started slightly, her hand on her gun, and turned to see Slider standing next to her.

Jia let out a breath and relaxed.

"You shouldn't sneak up on me like that," she admonished. Slider grinned at her.

"Oops," he said, not sounding at all abashed. Jia shook her head slightly and rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"What do you need, Slider?" she asked after several minutes of silence.

"What happened to your knee?" Slider dodged her question and nodded at the brace. Jia grimaced again and just shook her head.

"Just a demonstration," she muttered.

"You and the bounty hunter know each other?" Slider asked her, leaning casually against the wall and raising an eyebrow at her. Jia let out a huff and turned around to face him, leaning back against the railing.

"You know about that?" she inquired.

"About everyone does," Slider answered, nodding his head. Jia made a face of discontent.

"Great," she said sarcastically. Slider remained silent, waiting for her to answer his question, and Jia let out a sigh of defeat. She had forgotten how patient clones were when they wanted they wanted to be. "Yeah, we know each other."

"He seems to have something against you," Slider observed carefully, studying Jia closely to see her reaction.

"Or something like that," the assassin girl said with a quick, humorless laugh. She tipped her head to the side and studied Slider. "It's almost sunset. You wanna see something better than grey walls and rain?"

Slider thought that was the most randomly put together statement and question, but he nodded, curious about what she meant. Jia smiled and grabbed his wrist, almost dragging him outside. Much to his surprise, the rain had stopped for the moment.

"Follow me," she ordered, jumping, catching the edge of the roof and swinging herself up onto it. Slider did as she said, following her onto the roof. She walked to the center and sat down, using an antenna protruding from the top of the building to keep herself from sliding down into the ocean.

Slider sat down next to her, also using the antenna as a grip. Jia grinned at him and then pointed up at the sky.

"Look," she said quietly. Slider looked in the direction her finger was pointing and saw, through a break in the clouds, the sun setting, just as she had said.

The star was burning a dark red that reflected orange on the water and turned the sky a deep purple. The clouds looked like they were died a very bright pick, and a flock of wild aiwhas were skimming over the water in the distance, silhouetted by the setting sun.

Jia watched Slider out of the corner of her eye, smiling to herself. The young clone sat with his mouth half open with wonder as he watched day turn into night.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked softly. Slider jumped slightly, he had been so engrossed in watching the sunset. He just nodded wordlessly and Jia laughed quietly.

All too quickly, the sun sank completely below the horizon. Slider let out a sigh of disappointment and turned to see Jia looking at him, an amused expression on her face. He let out another sigh and looked back up at the now-dark sky.

"Thank you," he said after a moment.

"Remember this night when things get really bad and when you feel like there's nothing beautiful or light in the galaxy," she told him. "Remember this sunset." Slider nodded.

"I will," he said earnestly. Jia bit her lip and then leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. She could almost sense Slider's confusion and amazement, his wonder and the sudden passion that flared up in him.

She had never been someone's first kiss before, and it reminded her of her first kiss, in sixth grade. The innocence and curiosity behind the small act that opened up doors of hope and relationships and promises.

"I know you will," she said quietly. The kiss had been a seal; the ribbon on the gift. It had been to ensure the young clone _would_ remember all the goodness in life. _SWAK_, she thought. _Literally._

Derek's face came to her mind momentarily, but her memories of him seemed blurry and distant, like he had been part of a different world, a different life, even. And in a way, he had. He was part of the time when she had tried to become regular, to become a civilian again. Her couple weeks traveling with Boba, though, had shown her that she could never go back to the regular girl who has a boyfriend and plans to marry right after high school. She was someone who couldn't settle down; at least not at the moment, and she was finally starting to realize it.

Suddenly lightening flashed across the sky and thunder boomed, causing Slider to jump half a foot into the air. Jia laughed at him and grabbed his hand, pulling her with her as she slid down the slanted roof. The rain started back up just as they got to the doors. Jia tried not to laugh at the indignant look on Slider's face.

"It's just water," she said, some laughter bubbling out. "Your clothes will dry. Come on."

"Now where are we going?" Slider asked curiously. Jia looked back at him, amusement shining in her eyes.

"Back to the barracks," she said. "If I remember correctly, curfew is going to be called soon."

"Oh, right," Slider looked down, slightly embarrassed. Then he looked back up at Jia. "You know everyone's going to be talking as soon as you leave, since they'll see us coming back together." Jia looked at him, raised an eyebrow, and bit her lip in a flirtatious way.

"Then you better tell them a good story," she said; Slider just grinned at her. And then they were at the barracks.

Just to cause some gossip, Jia walked with Slider back to his bunk. Before she left, she grasped one of his hands in both of hers and leaned up to act like she was whispering something in his ear. Going along with the act, Slider grinned mischievously and raised his eyebrows at Jia. She smiled back at him and then kissed him on the cheek.

All the other cadets were watching, shocked. When Jia left, they all turned to Slider, still with shocked expressions.

"That wasn't the assassin girl, was it?" one of his brothers asked. Slider just shrugged and climbed onto his bunk.

"What were you two doing?" another one asked, just as Jia had predicted. Slider grinned as he remembered her words: _"You better tell them a good story." _

"Well," he started, "it was actually a couple nights ago when we started talking…"

* * *

"Jacob," Lylla said, trying to cover up her surprise by opening the door wider and gesturing that he come in. "What are you doing here?"

Jacob sat down on the sofa and stretched out with a soft sigh. He looked around the living room before meeting Lylla's curious gaze.

"I need your help with a couple things," he told her at last.

"Oh?" Lylla asked. Jacob sighed again and ran his hands through his hair.

"I need a place to stay for a little while," he said carefully.

"And you thought of me because…?" Lylla prompted, somewhat suspiciously.

"Because your Jia's best friend," he answered.

"You know I haven't seen her in more than a month, right?" Lylla asked him. Jacob nodded and she let out a huff as she thought. "Okay, fine. You can use the guest room. But, you get to pay half the rent and for your food and stuff. And, you better get a job and a speeder or something, because you aren't just going to be sitting around being a lazy bum, and my speeder is _mine._"

Jacob chuckled and nodded, agreeing to her terms.

"What about the other things you needed my help with?" Lylla asked after a moment. Jacob shook his head.

"I'll tell you later," he said. Lylla nodded and got up.

"Well, I'm going to work. I suggest you start looking for someone that's hiring," she called to him, picking up her purse and making way towards the door again.

"Oh, one more thing," Jacob called her back. Lylla let out an annoyed sigh and turned to face him. "I know where your daughter is in the Temple. I know how to get to her without anyone knowing."

"What are you trying to say?" Lylla asked slowly, hope flaring in her brown eyes. Jacob took a deep breath.

"That I can take you to see her."

* * *

Jia was led to one of the big labs by Lama Su. He was telling her that the lack of privacy was for safety measures, as he was sure she could understand. Jia kept a polite, gracious smile on her face and nodded her head. The scientists working in the lab gave her a fleeting glace, and then turned back to their work, ignoring her.

"Our computers are monitored and secured, as I would presume you already have guessed," Lama Su said, gesturing to the swiveling office chair that sat behind the perfectly neat desk that the computer was sitting on.

"Of course, Prime Minister," Jia said respectfully. Lama Su just blinked his large eyes at her and left. Once she was out of his presence, Jia smirked. "But, your monitors and securities will be useless against me."

She got to work, overriding the initial protection program and sending out a worm that would make her presence on the network invisible. Checking to make sure the scientists were still ignoring her, she pulled out a blank USB drive and an adapter. She had quickly learned her USB drives from Earth didn't fit any computers here, so she had placed a special order with a technician for the adapter. Now she never went intel gathering without either.

She connected the two devices and then plugged them into the computer, simultaneously shutting down any security programs that would automatically recognize the USB drive as an intrusive addition to the hard drive.

Drawing on the skills she had gained during the hours she had spent nosing around Eagle's computer and files, she scanned through everything she could access easily at first. Not having time to read it all, but figuring it would be important to _someone_ or another, she downloaded them all to the USB drive. Next was the slower, more time-consuming part: hacking and downloading all the files the Kaminoans were determined to keep under lock and key and hidden away.

She dug deeper and deeper than when she had previously hacked into the Kamino computer network. She found training plans, ship and weapon schematics, a list containing the numbers of all the clones, deceased and living, ever made, the floor plans for Tipoca City, and the Contingency Orders that she had looked at last time. Finally, she drew up the list of all the ships that had ever landed on Kamino, right along with the names of anyone, everyone, anything, and everything on the ships.

Jia's lip curled up in a triumphant half-grin as she watched the file download onto her USB drive. Again, she glanced around, and again, no one was paying attention to her. While she was still hacked into the network, she decided to go further, hacking through the Kamino network and into the GAR database.

_Rule number fifteen: never leave any trace of your existence, and if there is any, get rid of it,_ she thought to herself, searching her name in the database. She blinked in shock at how much information the GAR actually had on her, and grimaced. Getting to work, she started the grueling process of erasing all evidence of her doings. That included deleting the information of Ahsoka's search.

_They won't miss it. It was only standard protocol that I relayed this information to them. Not sure why I did. Oh, right, 'cause Barriss almost threw a tantrum when I said I wouldn't. That wouldn't have been good._ Only half her mind was on the erasing of information; the other half was wandering in circles.

Suddenly, her comlink beeped out the "ringtone" that indicated her fellow bounty hunter was contacting her, and all the scientists paused in their work to glare at Jia. She just gave them a nonchalant shrug, silently telling them she couldn't care less of what they thought of her.

"Talk fast," Jia said, answering. "I'm in the middle of something."

"Hurry it up," Boba snapped. "I'm ready to leave."

"Okay, I'm giving you twenty seconds to explain the _actual_ reason you contacted me," Jia told him. "Go." Boba sighed and the volume of his voice dropped, to the point where Jia could barely hear it through her earbud.

"One of the more techy clones stationed on Kamino has picked up on illegal activity on the computer network. He just raised the alarm."

"And you automatically thought of me?" Jia asked, typing in a new set of commands, trying to hurry along the erasing process. "I'm insulted."

"Blondie, if you get taken into Republic custody, I'm _not_ busting your crazy ass out," Boba growled.

"I'm almost done here!" Jia huffed. "Just prep the Slave 1 so we can get the hell out of here."

"Right," Boba said. He proceeded to sign off and Jia rolled her eyes. The computer wasn't going as fast as she wanted and she lightly hit it impatiently a couple times.

"Come on, come on," she murmured. She looked up and saw through the glass wall a fully armored and _armed_ group of soldiers making their way towards the lab. She glanced down at the computer. Only one more bit of information. She ground her teeth and checked to make sure her gun was charged and set on stun.

The clones were near the door, and Jia was about to accept her fate of having to fight her way out, when they were suddenly stopped by another clone, a captain, if she used the _kama_ and _pauldron_ correctly to identify the rank. Jia breathed a sigh of relief and sent a silent prayer of thanks to whatever gods had given her the gift of extra time.

The compute beeped softly, telling her everything she wanted to be erased had been, and she disconnected the USB drive and adapter and stuck them into the small bag she had slung across her shoulders. She shut down the computer and got up. The officer was still talking to the clones, and Jia thought he looked vaguely familiar.

_He's a clone, of course he does,_ she reprimanded herself, exiting the lab and walking towards where the clones were conversing. Then she looked again. _Something _is_ familiar about him, though. It's the way he's standing. Tall, with an obvious air of authority, but light on his feet… _That almost made Jia stop in the middle of the hallway. As it was, she did stumble slightly, but managed to pass it off as the limp the brace gave her.

She thought back to her first night on Kamino, over a year ago, when she and Jax had faced off. He had bound and blindfolded her, and, along with the rest of Shadow Squad, attempted to fight her with hand-to-hand combat. One part of that exercise stood out more than anything else:

* * *

"_Well, Jax, I'm impressed," she said, standing still as he stalked around her._

"_How'd you know it was me?" he asked. _

"_You walk just a tiny bit lighter on your feet than everyone else does," Jia said, listening to him walk in circles around her._

"_You used how lightly I walk on my feet to identify me?" he asked incredulously._

* * *

Jia forced herself not to smile as she realized who the captain was. While walking, she pulled a different USB drive, this one purchased from a computer store on Alderaan so it would fit into the computers in this galaxy. It contained information on what, and how, Lylla and Ciri were doing on Coruscant. Jia had been keeping tabs on the young mother and child ever since she left them under the care of Anakin on the _Resolute_.

As she passed him she stumbled again, this time on purpose, and grabbed onto him for support, pressing the USB drive into the palm of his gloved hand. She kept her face turned down and away from the clones sent to, no doubt, apprehend her and mumbled a quiet apology to Jax for "bumping into him," before continuing on her way.

Even though the captain's helmet was turned towards the clones he had stopped and was talking to, Jia could feel his gaze on her, and she made a subtle hand gesture at her side, knowing he would understand.

"_Thank you."_

* * *

Boba flicked through the information Jia had gathered on his mark. Sure enough, the mark had visited Kamino and had then gone on to Ansion. Using some of his contacts, Boba soon learned that his mark hadn't left Ansion yet. In fact, according to his contacts, she was quiet enjoying it there and didn't seem like she would be leaving for a while.

He also learned his mark had a name, other than the pseudonym that had been given to him by his employer: Dia. It turned out Dia's real name was Crystal Bran. Boba also learned she was a Zeltron-Twi'lek mix. _Great_, he thought. Getting up, he decided he should go inform Jia, congratulate her on the success of gathering the information, or yell at her for almost getting caught.

As it turned out, he didn't have to any of that. When he opened the door to Jia's room, he saw she was practicing some kind of dancing. It was obviously supposed to be with a partner, he could tell by the way she held her arms. She paused in her dancing and turned off the music when she saw him.

"What?" she asked, sounding somewhat grouchy at being interrupted from her practice.

"You're good," Boba complemented. Jia narrowed her eyes at him and cocked a hip, opening her mouth to snap at him, but then decided against it and smirked.

"Yeah, I know," she said. Boba rolled his eyes at her and she let out a short breath of laughter. "Can you dance?"

"Not really, no," he answered.

"None at all?" Jia asked. "Classical, jazz, ballet, contemporary…?" Boba shook his head and Jia gaped at him. "Not even dancing like…" Jia trailed off, not sure how to finish her question.

"What kind of dancing, Blondie?" now Boba was somewhat curious. Jia sighed and bit her lip in thought for a moment and then led him over to a chair that was in her room and forced him to sit down in it.

"I'll show you," she said, grabbing her device that had been playing the music. She looked up at him while she changed songs and narrowed her eyes. "Just make sure you keep control of yourself and behave."

"Should I be worried that you said that?" Boba inquired, only half-joking. Jia didn't answer, though, because the music had started playing.

It was a song Boba didn't know, and he realized it was in a language he didn't know either. The music was upbeat and very chaotic, but then Jia started dancing, even more chaotic and upbeat than the music, and Boba blinked multiple times, checking to make sure it was the same assassin girl he knew that annoyed him so much.

The seventeen-year-old had transformed into someone he almost didn't recognize. She let her body move with the beat, weaving her body up, down, and around, shaking, turning, and twisting. On her face was a devious smirk and she was looking at Boba like he was toy that she couldn't wait to play with. She approached him, still dancing, and stood in between his legs, still dancing. She was close enough he could see the beads of sweat dripping down her body, and he had to force himself to remain still.

He could feel his body reacting to the way she was dancing, and suddenly understood why she had told him to "keep control and behave." _This girl could get a job in a nightclub,_ he thought as she finally moved away from him. The whole time she was dancing, she kept her gaze on him, that smirk still playing on her lips. While she danced, he realized he had been lying to himself about not being attracted to the strange assassin girl in front of him, and finally admitted it to himself

The song finally ended and Jia stopped dancing, breathing heavily. She raised an eyebrow at Boba.

"That kind of dancing," she said between breaths.

"Uhh, no, I can't dance like that," Boba said. Jia laughed a little breathlessly and shrugged.

"Okay." She turned to make her way towards the 'fresher, when her left knee buckled and she fell against the wall. Grinding her teeth, she pushed herself off the wall and tried to continue on her way, but realized Boba had grabbed hold of her arm and didn't seem to be letting go anytime soon.

"Why didn't you tell me about your knee?" he asked in a low voice. Jia narrowed her eyes at him and jerked her arm away. All playfulness and sense of friendship had disappeared now.

"I didn't think you needed to know," she said defensively.

Boba glanced down at her knee and felt a flash of guilt.

"You should've told me," he growled, "so that way you wouldn't end up like this." He indicated at the brace.

"It wouldn't have made a difference," Jia snapped. "You were interrogating me. You weren't supposed to play nice. If I had told you, you would have." She paused as she realized what she had just said, then she looked at Boba.

"Which I don't really understand. You and me don't get along. We're supposed to be enemies," she was talking faster now, the words tumbling out of her mouth as they came to her mind. "But you're always nice to me. You always make sure that I'm prepared, or comfortable, or happy. I mean, what the hell is with that? I don't get why you do that. I'm not special to you. You don't even _like_ me. I can't figure out for the life of me why-"

Boba grabbed the sides of her face and roughly crushed his lips to hers, backing her up to the wall as he did so. Jia was frozen with shock, but that didn't stop him. He let all his emotions towards her pour out in that kiss; the anger, the love, the attraction, the annoyance, the frustration.

When he finally pulled away, both were breathing heavily and Jia's eyes were wide with surprise.

"That's why," he said, drawing in deep breaths. "_That's_ why."

Jia was still for a moment longer, then she opened her mouth to say something, but Boba just shook his head and hastily made his way to the cockpit, leaving Jia alone with the weight and significance of what had just happened settling over her like a suffocating blanket.

* * *

Lylla's breathing became quick and shallow, and she sank down into the sofa, grabbing at the cushion for support. Jacob was at her side in an instant, checking to make sure she was okay.

"You can take me to see Ciri?" Lylla whispered. It had only been about a day since her baby had gone, but it felt like forever. The temptation was too much for Lylla. She grabbed Jacob's arm and squeezed tightly. "Take me now!"

Jacob sent Lylla Force tendrils of soothing energy, wanting to calm the young mother down. When she was breathing steadily again, he gently pried her hands off his arm and folded them in her lap.

"First, you need to calm down," he said in a low voice, hoping to keep the woman in front of him at peace. "Next, I need you to listen to me, okay? Your baby is fine. She's pining for you, but she's fine. I can't take you anytime soon. I'm not exactly a welcome face at the Temple right now. You need to focus on your life and learning to live without her, as I can't take you often."

Lylla let out a choked sob and buried her face in her hands. Jacob gathered her hunched form in his arms and comforted her, trying to, once again, soothe her with the Force. It took longer than he thought it would, but she finally became calm enough to think.

"I think I'm going back to bed," she whispered at last. Jacob nodded. _This is why a Jedi can't have attachments,_ he thought to himself.

"Don't despair about it," he told her softly as she walked to her room. "You'll se your child again. I promise."

* * *

It was many hours later when Boba heard the door to the cockpit slid open, accompanied by Jia's soft, nearly-silent footfalls. She sat down in the co-pilots chair, and he finally risked looking at her with the 360 view provided by his helmet. He saw that she was studying her nails, and she looked relaxed, but then he looked closer and saw how tense she was.

"Look," she said, breaking the silence and looking up at him. "You were just acting in the heat of the moment. I shouldn't have danced like that in front of you. I knew it would tempt you; no one's ever been able to resist. I was playing a cruel trick on you." She took a deep breath and stared directly into his eyes, even through the visor. "I'm sorry."

Boba finally turned his helmet towards her.

"Did you just say sorry?" he had to make sure he wasn't going crazy and hearing things. Jia nodded at him and blinked, but didn't make a facial expression of any kind. Boba sighed and turned his helmet away, even though he was still watching her. "I should be the one apologizing."

Jia's lip curled up into a half-smile and she moved so she was standing in front of him.

"You were just acting in the heat of the moment," she repeated. "You don't need to apologize. It's my fault and we both know it."

"What if it wasn't?" Boba asked looking up at her. Jia pursed her lips, cocked a hip, and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on," she said incredulously. "We both know you would shoot me the first chance you got if I wasn't being so helpful to you right now. Besides, you have to admit, that was some pretty sexy dancing I was doing." Her voice broke into a breath of laughter at the end, and Boba smiled slightly, even though he knew she couldn't see him.

"I guess," he said at last, shifting in his seat to get more comfortable. Jia let out a sigh of exasperation and sat down on the floor in front of him crossing her legs.

"Baldy, I can read people. I know you don't have an attachment to me like _that_," she told him. Suddenly, her cheeks became tinted with a bright pink and she looked down. "I mean, a boy and a girl stuck on a ship together for a couple weeks. The girl does some crazy dancing that belongs in a strip club. Things are bound to happen." Boba chuckled at that and gave a gesture of agreement; Jia smiled, relieved that the awkwardness that had sprung up between them was gone. She stood up and moved to the co-pilots seat again. "So, got anything?"

Boba nodded and handed her the datapad with all the information. Jia scanned through it, her intelligent blue eyes picking up the info with barely a glance.

"So, Dia's actual name is Crystal Bran. Crystal Bran is on a planet called Ansion. Ansion is apparently a very nice planet to stay on. It also happens to be that Crystal Bran is a Zeltron-Twi'lek mix- _great_, just what I wanted to have to deal with," JIa mused aloud. Boba rolled his eyes and Jia looked up, making a face at him. "So, now what?"

"Well, she likes going to this bar every night," Boba said, transferring more information onto the 'pad.

"Oh, so you go in, flirt, buy her some drinks, seduce and then do your little bounty hunter thing and the job's done then," Jia said with a shrug. "Then we go no our merry ways and I don't have to deal with you for a couple months."

"Yeah, slight problem with that," Boba told her with another eye roll. "She's not into men." Jia looked over at him and smirked.

"Well, that's good for you, since you can _hardly_ be counted as a man," she teased him. Boba, used to her jibes by now, just let out a growl of annoyance.

"You're missing the point, Blondie," he snapped. "_Dia. Is. Not. In. To. Men."_ Each word was spoken with a slow deliberation, and Jia's eyes widened as she suddenly understood. Boba started nodding even as she opened her mouth to object.

"No," she gasped, getting up and starting to pace. "No, no, no, _no!_ What the hell-? You're kidding me!" Boba just shrugged and grinned at her.

"Who knows, Blondie. Maybe you'll discover something about yourself," now he was teasing her. "I hear girl on girl can be very… _enjoyable."_ The whip Jia had coiled at her side was the next thing he felt as she wrapped it around him and drew him close.

"I would rather find out if you really are a man," she breathed in his ear, despite what had happened a few hours ago. Boba felt his body reacting, but he tamped it down.

"Maybe you can, Blondie," he retorted. "_After_ the job." Jia sighed and released him from the whip.

"_That's_ why you need me on this job," she said, the realization striking her. Boba nodded and Jia gave in with a huff of defeat.

"Okay," she decided. "But I'll need your help. I have nothing against homosexuals, I just…" she trailed off and looked at Boba, her face a perfect picture of confusion and bewilderment. "How do you flirt with a girl? I've never had to seduce one before." Boba smiled behind his mask before he answered.

"Really?" he asked, pretending to be surprised, thoroughly enjoying how upset Jia was over her role in the job. "Well, you're such a little temptress, you shouldn't have a problem." Jia's eyes flashed with annoyance.

"I'm being serious, Baldy!" she exclaimed. "It's easy to seduce a guy because all they think about is sex, sex, and sex. I _know_ how to get inside their heads. But a girl? I mean, yeah, we think about sex, but it's not all we have on the mind. It's a lot harder to screw with a female's head, than with a males."

"That is somewhat insulting," Boba pointed out in a mild voice. "But, since you asked so nicely, I'll give you a few pointers. Girls love getting complements on their looks; it means everything to them. They also like being told their smart, funny, adorable, unique, etc." He tipped his head to the side and studied Jia.

"Play it off as an innocent school-girl," he advised. "Still a virgin, not looking to get too crazy. Then all you have to do is throw her a complement here and there, she'll believe you, and then _she'll_ be the one to do the seducing and flirting."

Jia blinked and pursed her lips.

"That's actually a good idea," she said, sounding shocked. Boba decided to ignore the implied insult. For the moment.

"Well, we'll be on Ansion soon, so I'd start getting ready if I were you," he said. Jia gave him a pointed look.

"I can't be the only one doing the heavy lifting," she complained. "You need to have some part in this. And I think I know how. I need to get Dia's attention, right? Well, I can't do that if I'm being shy and quiet. _You_ get to be the annoying, possessive, incredibly asshole-y ex-boyfriend."

Boba blanched.

"You are _joking_!" he cried. Jia shrugged and walked out of the cockpit. Seconds later her head poked back through the doorway.

"Everyone's got a role to play on this one, Baldy," she told him with false sweetness. "Lights, camera, show-time."

* * *

_So, the job is back on. Yay! The whole Jia/Boba thing came from Glee. Well, not from Glee, but I've been watching Glee a lot recently and they have all this high school drama going on, and I realized Jia was high school age (Boba's a little older, but whatever) and so some high school drama would do her good. And yes, there is a little gay twist going on. If you opt to drop out of that part, just skip the next chapter. _

_Please, please, please let me know what you think! I love knowing what you guys have to think about my crazy story that's all over the place and taking super-long to wrap up. I know it's a little soon, but to those who celebrate Easter, happy Easter to everyone!_


	59. One To The Other

**One To The Other**

During her time as an agent in Wolffe's group, Jiana Sasha White had been many things, played many roles, become many people. But never had she been someone she had no clue how to be. Her sense of loss and bewilderment didn't ease as she stepped into the bar that was pulsing with music and flashing lights.

The plan was simple: make hard contact with Dia, draw the mark out of the bar, detain her and leave. Jia knew the plan; she was the one that had come up with it. But, in her experiences, almost always an accounted for element screwed things up.

Pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind, the assassin girl made her way over to the bar, near where Dia was sitting. She was almost there when Boba appeared from the crowd and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him.

"Where you goin', baby?" he crowed. Jia leaned away from him, making a face of disgust.

"Look, JJ, I know you and I have a… history, but I've told you before: I want you to leave me alone," she said the rehearsed lines, and from the corner of her eye, saw Dia glance in her direction, the mark's eyes bright with curiosity.

"Aww, don't be like that," Boba pretended to sulk. He placed a sloppy, wet kiss on Jia's cheek and she pushed him away from her, making it seem like she was struggling to get out of his grasp.

"You're drunk," she gasped. The words were familiar on her tongue; she had said them once to Eagle when he had almost killed her for snooping around his files and laptop.

"Just a little," Boba slurred. Jia was impressed due to the fact that she knew the bounty hunter hadn't taken a sip of alcohol so far since she had been working with him; this job included.

"JJ, let me go before I call the authorities," Jia tried to threaten. The bounty hunter just rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on her waist. He leaned in to kiss her again and Jia started struggling for real. She let out a few cries for help for good measure.

Finally, a few of the more sober men came and pried Boba off her.

"Damn bitch! You'll regret this," Boba yelled at her as he was forced out of the bar by the patrons. Jia rolled her eyes and slid into the booth next to Dia.

"Doubt it," she muttered. She called the bartender over. "Some Toydarian whiskey, please." He nodded and turned to prepare her drink. Dia looked over at her.

"Rough time?" she asked pleasantly. Jia gave a sigh and turned to face the Zeltron-Twi'lek mix.

"You have no idea," she said. "My ex, that crazy asshole you just saw, doesn't understand what I mean when I say I'm not interested." Then she glanced sheepishly at the other woman. "Sorry, I don't mean to push my relationship issues onto you." Dia gave her a warm smile and extended her hand.

Instinctively, Jia memorized every detail about the woman. Average in height, about 5'5", perfectly manicured nails, shorter lekku than normal for Twi'lek, pale pink skin, a model-like body, and bright mauve eyes that seemed just as adept at gathering details as Jia's were.

It took only half a second for Jia to take note of all these things and then she returned Dia's smile and handshake. The woman's grip was firm, but her hands were soft and small. It was obvious she wasn't used to manual labor. On the contrary, Jia's hands were calloused from the handling of multiple weapons for years, and before that gymnastics and playing the guitar.

"I'm Dia," the lady introduced herself. _I know_, Jia thought, though she didn't say so.

"Kayla," she used the alias she had come up with for the job. She had taken her twin's name, since she was also taking on her sister's personality of being shy, quiet, and extremely innocent.

As Dia released her hand, Jia saw the woman's eyes go down her body than back up, and forced back the feeling of unease that crept into her stomach. _Whatever it takes to get the job done_, she told herself. _Everyone has a role to play._

"Aren't you a little young to be in a place like this?" Dia inquired, taking a sip of her drink. The smell told Jia that it was some sort of vodka. It actually reminded her of something Eagle used to indulge in when he wanted to get really drunk, which meant the alcohol Dia had in her glass was probably very strong.

Jia shrugged and took a deliberately slow sip of the whiskey the bartender had placed before her, not missing the way Dia's eyes flicked to her lips for a moment before going back up to her face. She placed her glass back down on the counter and bit her lip as she pretended to think of an answer.

"Well, unless you plan on turning on me into the authorities, it's safe here for me, right?" she made it seem like she was really worried, and saw Dia's gaze soften.

"Of course I won't turn you in, sweetheart," she soothed. Jia gave a shy smile and then tipped her head to the side.

"You know you have really pretty eyes," she murmured. Dia paused and then slowly smiled. She placed her hand on Jia's arm.

"Thanks," she said, and Jia suddenly felt a strange urge in the pit of her stomach. She was aroused by the woman sitting beside her, but a distant part of her mind told her it wasn't her feelings; it was someone else's, and it felt like they had been placed in her body to make it seem like they were hers.

She had no idea what was going on, but she drew on her training from Wolffe and tamped down the feelings, knowing she had to keep control of herself so she could succeed in her task. As she took another sip of her drink, she noticed Dia watching her carefully from the corner of her eye. It took about two seconds for the assassin girl to link the feelings of arousal and the way the mark was looking at her. _She had something to do with it._

Jia finished off her drink and stood up, pretending to check her chrono. She sighed and put some credits on the bar.

"I need to go," she said. She looked at Dia and smiled. "Thanks."

"For what?" Dia asked, also standing up.

"Just… thanks," Jia repeated. She gave the mark another tentative smile and then turned to leave.

"How far do you live?" Dia asked, keeping pace with her. "I can walk you home."

"Just around the corner," Jia said. Dia nodded and followed her out the door, and Jia had to force down an even stronger feeling of arousal than before. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ she asked herself as she led Dia down the street and around the corner.

_Alright, Baldy, time for you to make appearance number two._ She pressed a small button tucked on the inside of her long sleeve, and a resulting explosion of a speeder sounded nearby. It was the signal to the bounty hunter.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Dia soothed when Jia flinched. "Some crazy things go on, but nothing too bad." As the other lady spoke, Jia felt a sense of security wash over her, along with the sense of arousal. Again. Now it was really starting to annoy her. _What the hell?_

"Crazy things all right," Jia murmured. Dia looked at her in confusion, but didn't get a chance to voice it as Boba Fett dropped down on her from a nearby roof and injected her with a tranquilizer.

"You're a bounty hunter," Dia accused, her eyes already glazing over from the affects of the drug. Jia gave her a feral grin and crouched down.

"You got it all wrong, Crystal Bran," she said, her blue eyes narrowing, enjoying the way their mark cowered away from her. "He's the bounty hunter. I'm an assassin."

And then Crystal Bran was unconscious.

* * *

Jia glanced up from her computer as Boba entered the cockpit.

"All good?" she asked. The bounty hunter nodded.

"She's still unconscious, and she'll have one hell of a headache when she wakes up, but other than that, no lasting side effects," he reported. "And before you ask, yes, the room is secure, I have cameras in place, and there is no way she can get out." Jia nodded, satisfied, and then went back to her laptop, her world shrinking once again to the little computer balanced on her legs. Then something occurred to her.

"Why is she alive?" she asked. "I thought your specialty was becoming disintegrations."

"Hutts prefer to kill their marks their own way," Boba stated calmly. Jia looked up at him, her eyebrows raised.

"Hutts?" she repeated. "As in Jabba the Hutt, Ziro the Hutt, Spada the Hutt?"

"Ziro is dead, but yes," Boba said. Jia gave him a look that was a mix between annoyance and exasperation.

"And you just happened to forget to mention to me that our employer was a _Hutt_?" she cried. Boba stared at her, slightly taken aback by her reaction.

"What's it to you?" he asked, suddenly suspicious. Jia sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Before I became a friendly to the Republic, I did some jobs for Jabba. One of them I severely disagreed with, so I backfired it on him. He lost half his slaves and a third of his funds, plus a good chunk of his mansion was blown to bits; all thanks to me," she explained. "Jabba's no idiot, and he figured it out, and since then, well, he's kinda had it in for me."

"He hasn't put out a bounty for you," Boba said. Jia shook her head.

"No, he's too smart to do that. He knows I'd only backfire it on him again. He'd do something indirectly like…," she trailed off and her eyes widened as everything clicked. She was on Boba in an instant, disabling all his weapons and pinning him to the ground, her hunting knife at his throat.

"He'd do something like hire a bounty hunter for a job that requires my help and capture while we're at his palace waiting for payment," she finished in a snarl. Boba's eyes were wide with shock, but they closed at her words, and she gave a snort of triumph. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yes," Boba said with a sigh. Jia pressed her blade closer to his throat and he started to talk again, rapidly, desperately trying to get her to hear him out before she decided to cut off his head. And he was certain she would have no problem with cutting off his head.

"But I was going to rescue you, break you out. It was the way I was going to pay my debt to you for breaking me out of prison," he told her.

"And how did you plan to do that?" Jia's voice a low growl.

"He'd probably make you a sex slave; mine, just to rub it in your face that it had been me that had caused your capture," Boba explained. He'd had it planned out a while ago, but had postponed telling the assassin girl for fear of her reaction. "I was going to buy you and bring you with me for… recreational purposes. Once we were far enough away from Tattooine, I'd drop you off, give you your part of the money, and we'd go on our merry ways."

Jia was still as she thought over his plan.

"And what if I don't become a, uh-" her face flushed pale pink "-slave for… fun times?" she asked.

"Then we make it up as we go," Boba told her. "Okay, I know you're some sort of genius assassin. It would probably be very easy for you to figure out a way of communication with me, and then for us to come up with a plan."

Jia was still again and then she sheathed her knife with a sigh.

"Okay, we'll go along with your plan," she said. She rolled off him and stretched out on the floor of the cockpit next to him, staring at the ceiling. "But if this doesn't work, once I get out, and trust me, I'll get out, you're going to be at the top of my hit list. And those are always the ones, no matter who they are or what skills they possess, who end up dead."

* * *

Jia made sure to wear her least favorite clothes when they got to Jabba's palace, as she had a sense she would never see them again. Like so many of her outfits, it was made of cargo pants, these a pale brown, with a dark blue cami that she had had for years but absolutely hated. A pair of ratty, shabby combat boots, her oldest pair that were a little too small, completed the outfit. Boba had lent her some of his older weapons, also aware that he wouldn't be getting them back.

"You know you'll probably get whipped," he warned her. He saw Jia wince at the thought, but she nodded, her expression calm. With her hair pulled back in a high ponytail and her blue eyes glittering with determination, he thought she looked absolutely beautiful; and knew the Hutt would too.

They walked to Jabba's throne room, trailed by multiple Gamorrean guards. On instinct, Jia immediately started analyzing the weak points of everyone in the throne room, including the giant slug that turned murderous eyes on her.

He ordered a protocol droid forward and began to speak in Huttese. Jia, though, having spent considerable time on Tattooine already, had picked up on the language and focused on the words the Hutt was saying, and not what the droid translated.

"So, bounty hunter, you have not only brought me the person I paid you to capture, but you have brought me the assassin who blew up my home," the worm said, eyeing Boba appreciatively and Jia with hatred.

Jia glanced at Boba from the corner of her eye, false-shock spreading over her face. They hadn't rehearsed anything to say or do, but had come to an unspoken agreement that acting accordingly would be best.

Jabba laughed.

"Poor girl; she thought the bounty hunter was her friend." Dutifully, the droid translated, and the musicians and entertainers in the throne room snickered. Jabba narrowed his eyes at Jia.

"You will soon pay for what you did to me, girl," he growled. The Kowakian monkey-lizard seated on Jabba's dais laughed gleefully as Boba kicked Jia in the back of her knees, forcing her legs to give out. She crumpled to the floor, still shell-shocked, not fighting as the bounty hunter clipped binders around her wrists and shackles around her ankles. It was only when he pulled Jia up off the ground that she began to struggle.

She shrieked and fought, grasping for anything she could turn into a weapon, but it was all an act. She wasn't trying to win, she was trying to lose. And lose she did. The guards fitted her with a metal collar that was a little too small and constricted her breathing. They yanked on the chain attached and dragged her, still shrieking and struggling, to the harem.

Once there, she was injected with what she could tell was a mild tranquilizer. One anyone else, it would've calmed them just enough to comply with any request and order given. As usual, though, her body immediately rejected the drug, sending adrenaline rushing through her, sharpening her vision and making her even _more_ aware of her surroundings.

The guards took off the collar but left on the shackles and binders. Then they left Jia sitting on the cold, dust-covered stone floor, panting and furious. Slowly, the adrenaline wore off, right along with the tranquilizer. Jia allowed herself a small moment to feel smug that their drugs hadn't worked on her. And then she heard footsteps and looked up to see who she could only assume was the harem mistress standing above her, glaring at her.

"I am to assume you are the new addition, Jiana, right?" she asked stiffly, wrapping slender fingers around Jia's wrist and yanking her up off the ground. Jia ground her teeth but didn't answer, and the harem mistress gave her a grudging smile.

"You're tough and feisty, I'll give you that," she said as she led Jia further into the room populated by attractive young females of every species. _Except…_ Jia looked around as discreetly as she could. _Except humans. I'm the only human in here. Which probably isn't a good thing._

The harem mistress came to a halt at a large, rust-covered tub filled with water. Jia looked in and gave a small shrug; the water seemed decently clear. She had bathed in worse-looking water than this. Before she had a chance to act of her own accord, the mistress forced her face-first into the water.

Jia came up within two seconds, used to being thrown unexpectedly into water. It was one of the many tests she had had to pass under Wolffe, and before him her cousins used to like to play tricks on her that involved being dragged suddenly into water.

"Get yourself bathed. We'll get you clothed when you get out," the harem mistress ordered, before turning and marching away. Jia made a face and some very unseemly hand gesture at her retreating form, much to the amusement of some of the nearby slaves, before slipping obediently out of her sopping clothes and washing as best she could.

It was only when she was submerged completely in the water that Jia realized she was being watched; not by the harem mistress, but by another slave, younger than herself. Jia ignored her while she washed her hair and body of dust and dirt, and scrubbed the oil and dead skin cells from her scalp and skin. She ignored her while she stepped out of the tub and stood, shivering slightly, on the cold stone floor. She ignored her until the younger girl came up and offered her a towel.

Jia accepted the towel and gave a small smile of thanks, not sure exactly what she could do without getting the little girl in trouble. It seemed that talking was allowed, since the little girl then spoke.

"I'm Yuma," she said quietly, grabbing another towel and wrapping Jia's hair. "Mistress says I'm too young to be a dancer or entertainer, so I help the others get ready."

"Entertainer?" Jia asked. She assumed the girl meant sex slave, but she needed confirmation.

"What you are," Yuma explained, leading Jia over to a small alcove divided off by a curtain. She sat Jia down in a chair and started brushing out the older girl's hair. "Mistress will want your hair straightened. She says men prefer straight hair. She'll also want a lot of eye make-up; it'll make your eyes pop and make you more attractive…" the little girl continued murmuring to herself as she worked on Jia. Jia eventually just tuned her out and relaxed, allowing herself to fall into a state between consciousness and sleep.

Finally, Yuma tapped her shoulder.

"Mistress is here to see you," she whispered in Jia's ear. "And she has your clothes." With that, the little girl disappeared, leaving Jia alone to face the harem mistress.

The lady pushed aside the curtain and strode towards Jia. In her hands she had an outfit so skimpy Jia thought it couldn't qualify as clothing. Mistress handed her the articles of clothing without a word and watched silently as Jia slipped into them.

The top was nothing more than a half-corset, laced up in the back, which stopped at Jia's belly-button and revealed the upper half of her breasts. The bottoms were no better: Spanx with a half-inch leg seam that barely covered what it needed to. Both pieces of the outfit were black and decorated with small, silver embroidered detailing and things that Jia could only describe as _danglies,_ also silver.

"Now," Mistress said, bending down so she was eye-level with Jia. "I know you haven't been broken in yet, but Master Jabba wants you to serve tonight. I trust you will be on your _best_ behavior, assassin."

Jia's lip curled up into a sneer.

"Yes, ma'am," she said mockingly. Mistress gave a curt nod and then walked in circles around Jia, inspecting her hair and make-up, and making sure she had the clothing situated correctly. Once she was satisfied, Mistress handed Jia a pair of soft, leather shoes that blended in with the her skin, so it would seem as if she had no shoes at all. The assassin nodded her thanks and put the shoes on, and Mistress laughed.

"Oh, don't thank me yet, assassin," she said. "That's not all I brought you." Jia looked up at the tall lady and saw a metal collar in her hand, very similar to the one she had been dragged to the harem with, but a closer look told her the measurements were different, that this collar would fit properly.

Jia sighed and bowed her head, giving in. The harem mistress smiled and clipped the collar around Jia's neck, wrapping the chain multiple times around her hand so she would have a firm hold should the assassin girl try to escape.

"Before you go, one more thing," Mistress said, pulling Jia towards the entrance where there was a set of guards ready to take her to her destination; probably Boba's quarters.

"Just say it," Jia growled, the collar already starting to annoy her.

"You are a _sex_ slave," Mistress said. "You better give your temporary master some sex."

"And if I don't?" the words came out harshly and Jia felt a small amount of satisfaction at the surprise that lighted in Mistress's eyes.

"Well, we always know whether you did your job or not," the harem mistress said after a moment. "So, if you don't, you get fed to the rancor. And he hasn't had a meal in a couple days, so he's a little hungry."

With that, she handed the chain to one of the Gamorreans and walked away. The guard yanked the chain roughly, causing Jia to stumble.

"No fight," one of them said in rough Basic, so, naturally, Jia struggled against them the entire way to her destination.

* * *

Boba opened the door to his room and was surprised to see a hunched up form sitting in the middle of his bed. He walked into the room, the door sliding shut behind him, and dropped his suitcase onto the floor. He flicked on the lights and was even more surprised to see it was Jia. He hadn't expected to see her until she had been "broken in."

The assassin girl looked up at him and gave him a small, hesitant smile. With a sigh, Boba walked over to her and held up a small device, releasing her from the collar that had been tethered to the center of the headboard. Jia gave a sigh of relief and closed her eyes for a long moment.

"Do they believe it?" she asked after a moment. Boba look up at her from where he had moved to grabbing some food and nodded.

"Yeah, they believe it," he said. "So much so, that once I get tired of you, Jabba has decided that you're going to be his personal pet." Jia gagged and Boba gave a grim smile. "Yeah, I figured you would feel that way. Lucky for you, Blondie, I've learned that I can never seem to get rid of you, no matter how hard I try."

"Thank you," Jia breathed. She held out her hand for a rations bar, the "food" Boba had been unpacking and he was glad she seemed back to normal. But something was still off. There was a look in her eyes that didn't belong there and it took him a moment to place it._ Defeat._

"So what's wrong with you?" he asked. Jia, who had been about to take a bite of the bar, froze, her mouth open and the bar partially in her mouth. She sighed and set the bar to the side, curling her knees up to her chest.

"I'm a sex slave," she said at last, as if that answered his question. Boba nodded.

"Yeah, I know," he said. Jia gave a frustrated huff.

"No, you don't know, Baldy," she countered. "_I am a sex slave._ I'm supposed to have sex with you!"

"Yeah, that's what sex slaves do," Boba said, sounding as if he were explaining this to a small child. Jia gave him and exasperated look.

"You're not understanding me," she snapped. "I have to have sex with you, or I'll be fed to the rancor. Whatever the hell that is."

"I don't understand why you're so upset," Boba told her. "They'll only check to make sure the first time. All you have to do is have sex with me one time, and then you're in the clear. They won't bother to check again, because if I request you again, they'll assume you did a good job and you'll do another good job."

"That's not the point!" Jia cried. Then she gave another frustrated huff. "Okay, maybe that is _some_ of the point, but not all of it. I mean, I have a boyfriend, so I'm pretty much cheating on him, which really sucks."

"I think he'll let it slide since it's gonna save your life," Boba said. Then he looked at Jia. She had become quiet again, and still. Too still. "What else?" Jia sighed and looked at him again.

"I'm still a virgin," she told him quietly. Boba froze and stared at the younger girl sitting in front of him. "I've never had sex before. No male has ever even seen me naked," she continued. Boba let out a long breath.

"I didn't know," he said softly. "I would've never dragged you in here if I had known." Then he turned accusing amber eyes on her. "You should've told me!" Jia went on the defensive.

"Maybe I would've if you'd told me about your little plan to wipe clean my slate with the Hutts!" she spat at him.

"Oh, and would you have gone along with the plan had I told you ahead of time?" Boba retorted.

"I don't know!" Jia cried. "But you still should've told me!"

"I don't have to tell you anything, Blondie," Boba snarled.

"When it's my life at risk, yes you do," Jia countered. Boba opened his mouth to argue more, but Jia, beyond furious, leapt at him. He knew right away he would beat her. She was weakened from fighting the guards and her lack of weapons made her slightly hesitant.

The struggle was brief. Boba had Jia pinned on the bed beneath him within two minutes. The assassin girl squirmed, trying to get away, but to no avail.

"Behave yourself or I'll stick you back in that collar," Boba hissed in her ear. Naturally, Jia tried to head-butt him into unconsciousness. Fed up with her, Boba gave her a quick shock from a Taser melded into his armor. Jia froze as her muscles were temporarily paralyzed, and Boba gave a silent sigh of relief.

He rolled off her and lay next to her. He didn't know how long they remained like that, but finally he felt her move slightly.

"Can we just get this over with?" she whispered. Boba turned his head to look at her and saw she was avoiding his gaze. He shrugged.

"I'm not pushing you into anything," was his answer. Jia gave a low, annoyed growl from the back of her throat, and Boba grinned slightly. He knew how to bait her into another argument.

"You did when you dragged me to Tattooine," she muttered. Boba gave another shrug.

"Like I said, I'm not pushing you into anything. You choose when we start, and you tell me when we stop." His tone was so carefree and nonchalant that Jia became furious again. She was on him in an instant, straddling his abdomen, holding his elbows down with her knees, her hands at his throat, but not cutting off any oxygen. Yet.

"I really hate you right now, you know that, right?" she growled. He nodded.

"I'm curious as to why, though," he said after a moment. Jia gave him her 'are you serious?' look.

"You should know," she snapped. Boba tipped his head to the side thoughtfully, staring up at her with intelligent amber eyes.

"Actually I don't," he said. "The reason you're so angry is not one that you have told me or I would be able to figure out." Jia sighed.

"I'm going to have an emotional attachment to you after this," she mumbled. "It happens to girls. They become emotionally attached to the person who takes their virginity." Then she glared at him. "And the last thing I want is any kind of attachment to you!" Boba just chuckled and shook his head slightly.

"You're impossible," he told her. Jia opened her mouth for a snappy retort, but he rolled over and she was suddenly pinned under him again.

Jia continued to glare at him, but her anger quickly gave way to fear and apprehension. There was something in his gaze, different from last time. She realized that when she had explained her reason of hatred, she had told him with her eyes to start. The realization made her start trembling, despite her attempts not to lose control of herself.

"Just," she licked her lips and tried again. "Just wait. Please."

"Why?" Boba asked. There was no venom or hostility in his voice, only honest curiosity, and Jia's cheeks tinted pink.

"I want to try to take your armor off. I know you. You'll have it so only you can figure it out, but I want to try. A challenge would," she paused here and seemed to search for the right words. "A challenge would help me." Boba complied, and rolling over onto his back and she straddled him again.

Slowly, with trembling hands, Jia felt along the edges of the plates of armor, searching for the latches. Boba locked his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. He figured it would be a while until she figured it out and decided to relax a little. Besides, the feeling of her small fingers slipping between the cracks of his armor felt good.

* * *

_Poor Jia. From lesbian to sex slave. This is the start of the closing chapters. But don't worry; there will be a lot of them. Pleas let me know what you think! _


	60. What I Do

**What I Do**

Boba watched Jia as she slept, curled into his side, her cheeks still damp from the tears she had cried immediately afterwards, some emotion he couldn't name glistening in her eyes. The seventeen-year-old had fallen asleep almost as soon as he had left the bed to get a drink of water. Now she was snuggled against him, and he was watching the way the moonlight that came through the cracked roof played off her golden-blonde hair.

He sighed as quietly as he could, knowing how sensitive she was to her surroundings even when she was asleep. A part of him had felt relief at finally being able to get release from the sexual tension between him and the assassin, but he mostly felt guilty for dragging her into this mess and putting her into the position she was currently in.

Jia shifted slightly against him and let out a whimper. Then she went rigid and tears started streaming down her cheeks again.

_Jia could only watch as Red and Eagle were dragged off by unfriendlies, no doubt going to be killed. She couldn't move; her body wasn't responding to her mind's commands._

"_Red!" she screeched, but her friend didn't acknowledge her. "Eagle!" The boy she loved did move his head slightly to look at her, but she only found hate in his eyes._

"Red," Jia murmured in her sleep. "Eagle. Eagle!"

_Her partners, her love and her best friend, were being stolen from her. She couldn't lose them. Not again. She knew they were going to die. They would die alone. They would die hating her for a reason she knew, but at the same time didn't know._

As gently as he could, Boba placed a hand on her shoulder. She jerked awake and grabbed his hand. He prepared himself to have to block her hits, but she surprised him, pulling her body to his and hugging him tightly, searching for something strong and steady to hold onto until she could pull herself out of the dark fog she was in.

As she started to wake up more, the tears turned to full sobs that racked through her body and she gripped the bounty hunter even tighter, if that was possible. Her nails dug into his skin and he sucked in his breath sharply, but didn't push her off. He had had his own share of nightmares and knew what she needed at the moment was a promise she wasn't alone.

So he placed his hand on her back, encasing her with one arm, and slowly, her sobbing turned to silent tears, even though she was still trembling. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, efficiently stopping the trembling, but the tears still came.

"You know I still hate you, right?" she asked him, her voice muffled by his chest. Boba smiled.

"I would be concerned if you didn't, Blondie," he quipped. He felt Jia smile slightly and realized something had changed between them. Then he gave himself a mental kick. Of course something had changed between them. They were more friends and less foes. He knew it came from the emotional attachment they now had to each other. The attachment Jia had said she didn't want. The attachment she hated him for.

Finally, Jia swallowed hard and raised her head to look at him. He had taken her hair out of the up-do while she had slept, and it now fell in soft golden waves around her face. It had gotten longer during their weeks together, the loose curls turning back into gentle waves.

"Thank you," she said at last. Boba raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked, making sure he had heard her correctly. Jia gave an irritated hiss from the back of her throat but repeated what she had just said. Boba gave a shrug, glad some of the "old-Jia" was back.

"Can I shower?" she asked at last. Boba shook his head.

"You always get bathed at the harem after your first job," he told her. Jia looked confused for a second then sighed and rolled off him, stretching out next to him.

"So what happens after this?" she questioned after many moments of silence. Boba knew what she meant, but evaded the question. He didn't like having emotional, heart-to-heart, deep, serious talks.

"The guards come and get you. You get bathed, inspected, and re-clothed, then brought back to me in Jabba's throne room," he started, but Jia cut him off with a soft touch at his wrist.

"You know what I mean," she said quietly. He suddenly realized she didn't want to have this conversation any more than he did, but needed to know the answers before she could make her plans.

"We go back to normal, I guess," he said at last. Jia gave another irritated noise from the back of her throat.

"There's no going back and we both know it," she snapped at him. Boba, again, felt relief at the "old-Jia" he knew so well.

"Well, something's changed. I won't deny it, but we aren't friends, Blondie," he said slowly, thinking it over. "We'll never be friends."

"We'll never be enemies either," Jia countered softly. Then she gave a harsh laugh. "Sometimes I think I should've killed you when I got that chance the first time I was on your ship. Would've made my life a hell of a lot easier."

"Or maybe I should've killed you. Just the electricity run its course with you," Boba growled at her. Then he looked over at Jia and saw she was looking at him with a bemused expression.

"Either way, one of us should've ended up dead," she said with an air of finality. Then she seemed to pause and think. "And one of us will. Sooner than the other."

"You planning on killing me, Blondie?" Boba asked her.

"I wouldn't tell you if I was," Jia shot back at him. Then she yawned and rolled over on her stomach. "I'm going back to sleep. The door's over there. Leave when you want."

"You do remember that this is my room, right?" Boba had to make sure she wasn't delirious. Jia just gave a huff of annoyance and then she was asleep again.

* * *

Jia stood in the shadows, her chain in the bounty hunter's hand. He and Jabba were conversing in Huttese, and Jia was thankful for her knowledge of the language, as it allowed her to eavesdrop.

They were talking about her. Jabba was asking for more than Boba was willing to pay.

"She's barely broken in and you want that much?" the bounty hunter snarled. "Clueless, naïve, immature."

"Be creative, bounty hunter," Jabba said. "She is young and strong. You can use her as bait on your jobs. You can breed her many times and sell her children. You can use her as a dancer in clubs." Jia swallowed back the bile that had risen in her throat and bit her lip to keep from grimacing. No one could know she knew Huttese.

"I'm not paying that much," Boba said decidedly. Jabba sighed. It was very clear he wanted the bounty hunter to take Jia as his slave, if for nothing more than to torment her because it had been him that had caused her capture.

"She is yours free, day and night, while you're here and on your next job," Jabba compromised. "She will be broken in my then. You can break her." Boba considered the offer.

"Fine." Jabba laughed and then motioned for Jia to come towards him. Being who she was, she planted her feet stubbornly on the stone floor and glared at the giant slug until Boba gave a rough yank on her chain and she stumbled forwards. Then he waved the protocol droid forward and Jia sighed inwardly. She figured something she didn't like would be coming next.

"The bounty hunter was not pleased by you," Jabba said. The droid translated and Jia tuned him out, preferring to listen to the words as they were, not as they were translated. "You did not do your job well."

"Maybe my idea of my job was not the same as your idea for my job," Jia spoke in a low voice, letting her words carry hints of malice.

"You will be punished for this," Jabba didn't verbally respond to her taunt, but she saw anger flare in his yellow eyes.

"By who?" Jia asked.

"Your new master," Jabba answered. Jia figured that was better. All they did was act. All the punishment would be was acting. Jia opened her mouth to say something, but Jabba turned back to Boba. "I could loan you a whip," he offered. Jia forced herself not to shudder at that thought.

Boba tilted his head down towards her.

"I have my own ways of dealing with her," he said in a dark voice. Jia looked up at him defiantly, narrowing her blue eyes. Boba glared back at her through his visor, but then he yanked on the chain again and led her back towards his room.

They were halfway there when Jia stopped and tipped her head to the side. Boba looked at her curiously, wondering what she was doing.

"Blondie-," he started, but Jia made the 'shh' sign at him, and he fell silent.

"Hear that?" she asked quietly. Boba turned up the sensors on his helmet and heard, faintly, what Jia must have heard. Yelling and shouting in the throne room, along with shrieks that came about every thirty seconds.

"Blondie, don't you even-," but his words were lost as Jia pulled her chain out of his hand and took off down the hallway.

Boba took a moment to hate how fast she was. He had never seen her actually run to escape or run to get somewhere, but now he saw how quick on her feet she was. And light. Her footsteps left almost no mark in the dust that covered the stone floor.

He got to the throne room just in time to see Jia throw herself in front of a young girl, nine or ten, intercepting the whip meant for her. Jia stumbled back slightly and her hand went to her stomach, checking the extent of the injury.

Jabba paused in his whipping, surprised at the sudden appearance of his new slave.

"Where is your master, slave?" he asked in Huttese, not bothering to call the droid forward.

"Probably planning another punishment for me," Jia answered also in Huttese. Jabba paused again, momentarily shocked that this girl spoke Huttese.

"I will punish you myself," he said after a moment. "For interrupting me."

"Fair enough," Jia said. "Just give me a minute." Not waiting for an answer, she turned to the little girl and saw it was Yuma.

"Why are you in trouble?" she asked softly, touching two fingers to Yuma's face.

"Mistress said one of the reasons you didn't do your job well was because I didn't make you attractive enough," Yuma whispered, tears leaking from her eyes. "She blames me every time a slave doesn't do their job how they should. She says it's to teach me how to be the best when I'm old enough."

"I'm sorry," Jia murmured. She kissed Yuma on the forehead and then turned back around to face Jabba. She saw Boba was now standing next to him, and knew he was glaring at her in anger through his visor.

"I'll take the punishment of the little girl," she said loudly. "It's my fault she didn't make me attractive enough. I fought her, told her if she didn't do what I wanted I would kill her. She was scared. She did what I asked. She does not require punishment. I do."

Jabba's eyes lit up with delight and the Kowakian monkey-lizard laughed gleefully. Jia closed her eyes at Jabba raised the whip and took a deep breath, readying herself. Then she opened her eyes and met the slug's gaze. She wasn't broken yet, but she knew she soon would be.

* * *

As the haze of pain slowly cleared from Jia's mind, she felt water beating on her skin and briefly wondered if it was raining. Then she remembered she was on Tatooine and it didn't rain there. The next thing she became aware of was someone gently washing the long cuts the whip had given her on her back.

She let out a quiet whimper and tried to move away from the hand that was cleaning the dirt out of the injuries. It stung terribly and it was all she could do to keep from screaming. As it was, tears rolled down her cheeks at the intense pain.

"Blondie, stay still and it won't hurt as much," the person said quietly. _Blondie, Blondie, _Jia searched through her memory. The name Blondie was familiar. Then she slowly started remembering. The harem mistress, Yuma, the bounty hunter, Jabba. The whip. The punishment.

"I hate you," she whimpered, hating how weak her voice was at the moment. He momentarily ceased in his gentle cleaning and chuckled, moving her hair out of his way so it wouldn't get stuck in the wounds.

"I know," he told her, his words no more than a low rumble that Jia felt rather than heard as she leaned back into the warmth of the bounty hunter. He allowed her to stay there for a moment, but then he gently pushed her off him and resumed his cleaning.

Jia locked her jaw, prepared for the searing, burning sting that would come. She still hadn't opened her eyes, and squeezed them tightly shut, tears still falling from them. She separated herself from the pain, retreating to the place in her mind that was both light and dark, happy and sad, anger and forgiveness. Day and night, the moon and the sun. The natural contrasts; just like her.

She didn't realize at first when the pain stopped. It was only when the bounty hunter placed his hand gently on her cheek that she drew from the safe haven in her head. She shook the water from her eyes and opened them, squinting in the bright light. As her gaze came into focus, she saw Boba watching her patiently, but also readily. He was waiting for her to attack him.

Instead she leaned into his warmth again, very much wanted and welcomed in the chilly water that was still beating softly on her skin. As her brain caught up to what she was feeling, seeing, hearing, she realized they were in the shower in his 'fresher. That meant she had stumbled back up to his room, blinded and numbed with pain.

Boba started to move away from her, but Jia wrapped her arms around his torso and held on. He was still as he contemplated what he should do, still tempted to move away from her. Then he changed his mind and gently wrapped his arm around her, holding and supporting her at the same time.

"How much do you remember?" he asked after a moment. He still hadn't turned the water off, but didn't act upon that knowledge for a couple minutes.

"That damn whip hurt," Jia mumbled against his chest. "I've been whipped before. They don't hurt like that."

"It was a shock-whip," Boba informed her and felt Jia's huff of annoyance.

"_Great,_" she hissed sarcastically. Boba's lip curled up in a small smile of amusement.

"Can you stand?" he asked, breaking the growing silence. Jia looked up at him for the first time since the whipping, and he was startled at how bright blue her eyes looked. It took him a moment to notice that her eyes were rimmed with red and puffy, which would account for the sudden change in her eye color.

"I don't know," she murmured. She released him from her hold and took an unsteady step back away from him, gripping his arm tightly. She balanced her weight evenly on both feet and slowly pulled her hand off his arm. Then she looked up at him, grinning triumphantly.

"Yup, I can stand." As she spoke, though, she leaned slightly to the side, throwing off her balance and she started falling. Boba caught her and set her back upright.

"Not really, you can't," he countered, choking down a laugh at the look of dismay and anger on her face.

Jia leaned into him again, shivering slightly. He realized she was chilled from the cool water and reached over to flick it off. He stepped out of the shower first, making sure she could still use him as a support. Then he turned and lifted her out of the shower. He draped the one towel over her shoulders, but she hissed and jerked away from him.

"You need to dry off," he told her. Jia's jaw locked and her unshed tears made her eyes bright again.

"I'll air dry," she ground out through her clenched teeth. Boba stared at her for a moment, and she met his gaze evenly. Then he sighed and gave in, removing the towel and using it to dry his hair and upper body off.

What he hadn't told her was that he wanted her to have the towel so it would help against his temptation, but now condemned himself to having to fight it without the help of having her at least somewhat covered. He was glad he still had his armor on from the waist down, but from Jia's knowing look, he figured she had guessed his second reason for the towel and why he was glad for the armor.

With the help of the bounty hunter, she made her way to the bed and collapsed onto it, face first. She stayed that way for many minutes before she turned to look over at the bounty hunter, who was stripping out of the rest of his armor to finish drying off.

"I'm yours, right?" she asked exhaustedly. He answered in the positive, not looking at her, and Jia gave a breath of relief. "Then, if you don't care, Imma go to sleep."

"Before you do, I have a question," Boba said.

"Hmm?" Jia asked, already starting to fall asleep.

"Why'd you lie to protect the girl?" he asked. Jia opened one eye and looked at him and saw he was looking back at her.

"I take the punishment," she murmured, closing her eyes and turning her face away from him. "It's what I do."

The next time Boba looked over at her, she had fallen into a deep slumber, completely relaxed, one leg and arm hanging off the edge of the bed. Shaking his head slightly, he repositioned her and covered her with the sheet. Then, checking to make sure she was still asleep, he pulled her laptop out from the bottom of the suitcase he had brought and opened it.

He had used the cameras on his ship to record the hand movements she used when unlocked the computer and now he mimicked them. It took a few tries, but he finally gained access to her files and brought up the last thing she had been doing.

Most of it was in a written language he didn't know, but he studied the pictures and drawn notes that were up on the screen. He pulled up the next to last thing she had opened and saw it was a map of the galaxy, different planets and systems marked with either blue, red, or green. He figured the blue was Republic and the red was the Separatists, due to the planets the colors marked. That would make the green the neutral planets.

Next to each planet was either a * or a /, and Boba was curious as to what they stood for. Then he looked back at the notes and records he had first opened. He went back and forth, between the map and the notes, understanding slowly starting to dawn.

When he found a translation program and ran the notes and records through it, his suspicions were confirmed. With a sigh he turned to look at Jia, who was still sleeping soundly and didn't look like she would be waking anytime soon.

"Hell, Blondie," he sighed. "Why'd you have to get yourself involved in this?"

* * *

_I know I updated just very recently, but I finally have a computer I can use as much as I want without getting interrupted too much. So, what might Jia have possibly gotten involved in? I'll give you a hint: you already know it. Please let me know what you think of the forming relationship between Jia and Boba. Is it good, bad, you hate it; that sort of thing. No promises, but I'll try to update by Wednesday._


	61. Friends And Brothers

**Friends And Brothers**

Lylla looked over at Jacob. The Jedi was sitting near her on the sofa, watching the news with interest. Something was off and she knew it. Why hadn't Jacob gone back to the Jedi yet? Or why hadn't they come looking for him? She sighed and took a sip of her tea. She wanted so badly to see Ciri, and this Jedi seemed the only way, but he wasn't telling her everything and so she couldn't trust him completely.

She sighed again and stood up.

"I'm going to sleep," she said. "Work starts early."

"You're actually going then?" Jacob asked, looking up at her. She had planned to go to work for the past three days, but every time had ended up just going back to her room and pining.

"Yes," she told him. "I'm actually going." Jacob smiled.

"Okay," he said. "Good."

Lylla smiled slightly and then turned and retreated to her room. Sure, she didn't trust the Jedi sitting in her living room, but that didn't mean she didn't like him.

* * *

Jia yawned and stretched. Her muscles felt stiff and ached with the throb that meant she had been injured. Her eyes opened slightly and she saw Boba lying next to her, snoring softly. That meant it was nighttime, and the fact that he looked so relaxed and content meant that something had happened in his favor while she had been asleep.

Sitting up, Jia tipped her head to the side and studied his face. She had spent nights memorizing everything, every muscle twitch, about Derek. Her beloved boyfriend always looked so much younger when he was asleep, but he didn't look anymore relaxed or happier. He seemed just as happy asleep as he was awake, and that had always made Jia smile.

Most nights, Derek would drape his arm over her waist and draw her closer to him. It used to wake her up and she would attack him in her sleep-muddled state. He would place his wrist on her lips and let her feel his pulse, silently telling her she was safe and he wasn't going to hurt her. Slowly her reactions had become less extreme until one night, he had drawn her to him, and she hadn't woken up at all.

Now the assassin studied the bounty hunter asleep next to her. He was very much like the clones, but at the same time so different. He would get the same angry sneer, or the same amused/exasperated smile. The curve of his eyes was the same and he spoke with the same lilting accent, but at the same time, he already had frown lines forming on his forehead, and his voice was rougher, more feral, than the clones'.

Yawning again, Jia lay back down and pressed her back against the bounty hunter's side. She had always loved having someone else lying next to her while she slept, their warmth and steady heartbeat often making her feel safer, even when she was a little girl. Especially when she was a little girl. Now the warmth and heartbeat helped keep away the worst of the nightmares; the ones from her worst memories, the ones she tried so hard to forget and couldn't.

Almost instinctively, Boba rolled over onto his side and his arm came over her stomach, embracing her. Jia smiled and closed her eyes. She wasn't one who naturally flirted. When she said something, she meant it. When she hugged or kissed someone on the cheek, it was a gesture of friendship. When she lay beside someone, it had no sexual implication whatsoever.

Boba opened his eyes slightly and watched Jia as she rolled onto her other side and curled up, her head resting against his chest. He didn't know a lot about how her mind worked, and what certain things she did meant, but he knew what she wanted wasn't anything sexual. She wanted a promise he was there. She wanted a promise that she was safe for the moment.

"Baldy," she murmured, falling back asleep.

"Hmm?" he answered sleepily.

"I hate you," she told him. He smiled, his eyes closing again.

"I know," he said quietly, moving his hand so it rested on her silky hair.

She didn't want empty words and gestures. She wanted support. She wanted love. She wanted the one thing he couldn't give her. She wanted friendship.

* * *

Jax looked at the groups of shinies as they were unloaded from LAAT/i after LAAT/i and sighed. He shared a look with Viz and saw his brother shared his annoyance at having been tagged with each taking charge of a squad of the rookies to train and prepare. Both men were standing a step behind Commander Gree with their helmets off, so Gree heard the sigh. He looked back at Jax, his facial expression reprimanding even though his eyes held amusement.

"Captain, if you have a problem with your assignment, please speak up," he said.

"With all due respect, Commander Gree, my squad and I are not trained for straight-forward battle. We would do better as Special Ops or something of that sort, sir," Jax explained as best he could. Gree raised his eyebrows at Jax's next sentence. "And, I speak for everyone when I say, we would prefer it if we weren't broken up from our original squad. Sir."

Gree quickly smoothed over his slightly-surprised expression. Captain Jax and his squad had just recently been transferred over to the 41st Elite, and it was obvious that none of them were happy with the new arrangement, though they kept their complaints and muttering to a minimum, for which Gree was grateful.

"Your squad, yourself included, all seem to have had slightly different training than the rest of us," the Commander said. He had searched all the files of the entire Shadow Squad, but hadn't found anything explaining why they acted slightly differently. There were three months at the end of their training and almost an entire year right before they had transferred that were blocked; classified for everyone but the Jedi Council and the Chancellor. "General Unduli and I both agree it would be in the best interest of the 41st Elite if you shared your training with some of the shinies."

Viz and Jax exchanged another glance. Viz's eyebrows rose slightly and his hand twitched a little. Jax seemed to think for a moment and then he gave the subtlest shake of his head. Gree knew both men had just had a silent conversation, excluding him, directly in front of him. He frowned slightly. That was unacceptable. He would have to talk to them about it later.

Now that he thought about it, all of Shadow Squad had a habit of doing that: conversing silently with each other with no regard of who was standing there.

"Care to share, gentlemen?" Gree's voice held only light tones of annoyance and disapproval, but the two brothers seemed to catch it anyways. That was another thing: they were very adept at reading people and picking up on anyone's emotions and train of thought. All clones were good at reading people, but for whatever reason, this squad of clones was better.

"If it is allowed, sir," Viz spoke, not even bothering to glance at Jax for permission, which shocked the Commander, "I would like to make contact with someone who can give you access to our records. It would answer most questions you have as to why we are hesitant to share the specialized aspects of our training. Sir."

"Who is this person, Lieutenant?" he asked. Again, Viz and Jax looked at each other. Again, Jax shook his head slightly.

"That is classified, sir," he said, then added almost as an afterthought, "sorry, sir."

Gree tamped down his annoyance. This Lieutenant was offering to give him the answers to some of his questions.

"Would it have to be a long-distance connection?" Gree asked.

"I think so, Commander. This person travels a lot," Jax answered. He preferred to call Gree by rank instead of the more common "sir" that most troopers used, and Gree knew it was the Captain's way of saying he respected Gree and, grudgingly, accepted his authority. Barely.

"Then you can use my computer, Captain," Gree offered. Jax gave him a brusque nod and then turned back to watch the shinies.

"If I may, Commander," Gree never liked it when Jax began like that because it meant the Captain would be requesting something. "Would it be okay if you gave the most advanced, the best, the ones that had passed with the highest score, to my squad and I?"

"Why, Captain?" Gree had to admit he was curious to the reasoning behind the request.

"I think we would end up killing the ones that couldn't keep up." Jax said it so calmly that Gree was floored. A brother killing a brother? That was unheard of. A brother talking of killing another brother? Also unheard of. Gree wondered just what had happened during those classified three months.

"Again, Captain, why?" Gree asked, maintaining a professional front, despite the turmoil the other clone's comment had stirred up in him. Jax gave him a wry grin and Gree knew that the Captain could tell the professionalism was just an act.

"We, as individuals, are not perfect, Commander, but _my squad and I_ are perfect. We've survived all our battles, no dead, no marked yellow or red. My squad and I will help train the squads you give us to perfection, but the ones who can't keep up, the ones who aren't fast enough or smart enough, or _individual_ enough, my squad and I won't be able to tolerate," Jax answered.

_Individual enough,_ Gree repeated in his head, studying the Captain and Lieutenant that stood before him. _They are individual when they aren't on-duty, but give them a mission and they become one. Perfection. _The realization struck him and he wondered what had made them that way.

"I'll see what I can do, Captain," he informed Jax finally. Jax gave another nod.

"Permission to leave, Commander?" he asked after a moment. "I would like to inform the others."

"Granted, Captain Jax," Gree said, holding back a sigh. Even though Shadow Squad had been with the 41st Elite for only a couple days, everyone knew by now that any information concerning the squad went to Jax, and then the Captain, and no one else, would inform the squad.

After Jax had left, Viz stepped up, taking his place. Gree had noticed that also: whenever Jax wasn't present, Viz stepped into the role of Captain, even though he was only a Lieutenant.

"You aren't yet Captain, Lieutenant Viz," Gree admonished quietly. Viz gave the Commander a lopsided grin.

"You're right, sir, but Jax left, and he was acting as your second for the moment. Being _his_ second, now it's my turn," the Lieutenant responded. Gree let the sigh escape him this time. Even though they seemed to have no regard for the rules, Shadow Squad sure knew them.

"He does accept authority, sir," Viz said softly after a moment. "Just not from you. And barely from any of the Jedi, er, Generals. Sir." Gree decided to let the little slip slide. That was another thing different about Shadow Squad: they tended to say 'Jedi,' instead of using the more respectful title the Jedi had been given in the GAR.

"From who then, Lieutenant Viz?" Gree asked, looking at the younger clone. He actually liked Viz. The Lieutenant was thoughtful and respectful, but still had the rebellious streak that all of Shadow Squad had. He also tended to answer more of Gree's questions, despite Jax's disapproval, though most of the times the answers were cryptic and didn't explain much. "I would very much like to know so I can offer them the position of Commander." Viz's lips quirked up at the dry humor.

"The person who will give you access to our records, sir," he said. Gree turned an exasperated expression on Viz.

"Your answers aren't very helpful, Lieutenant," he pointed out. Viz smiled at the Commander.

"Sorry, sir," he said. He was quiet for a moment, than added, "Part of my training. Sir."

Gree's curiosity piqued at that, as he didn't remember cryptic answers being included in any of the flash training he had been given during his ten years on Kamino. He was about to ask about that when Commander Offee approached him and Viz. She had just recently returned to the 41st Elite, and while everyone had been happy at her return, it was obvious she had changed.

She was even more thoughtful than before, but also more opinionated. She would have respectful debates and disagreements with her Master, and was more interactive with the men. When they had returned from a battle a couple days ago, she had spent all her free time in the med ward, and not entirely for healing, though that had been what had taken up a lot of her visiting time. She visited them to talk and laugh and learn. She would ask them questions and would read to them. She would tell them stories of conmen and thieves, of adventures, of love and loss, of beautiful girls that could be princesses if they wanted to be.

And she would sing. She would sing softly to the men to lull them into a gentle sleep. It was a soft lullaby, and it was the only thing she sang, but Gree knew he would never get tired of hearing it, and he knew most of the men felt the same.

Sometimes at loud noises, she would start and open her mouth to call to someone before she realized the person wasn't there. Gree recognized it as PTS, post-traumatic stress, and would often offer help to the Jedi Padawan, but she would just shake her head. One time a name had actually slipped out: Cody, but Gree hadn't thought much of it. Another time she just barely managed to stop herself, and Gree saw her lips form the name: Jax. And another time, after a moment where she had frozen and started trembling, she had murmured, "What would Jia say to do?"

Gree hadn't been too worried about it. It happened to everyone and he knew she had just been on a disastrous rescue mission, but then Shadow Squad had arrived and the Captain had introduced himself and Barriss's reaction had disturbed him somewhat.

* * *

"_Shadow Squad reporting for duty as requested, Commander Gree," Jax said, saluting sharply. Barriss let out a quiet gasp and her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes widening to soft moons as she stared at the transferred squad. Jax, whose helmet was off, had also seemed somewhat startled, blinking and doing a double-take._

"_Commander Offee," he had then proceeded to ignore Gree, giving Barriss an almost-friendly nod, which she returned with a smile._

"_How are you, Captain Jax?" she had asked him softly. Jax seemed to think for a moment._

"_As good as we can be, Bar-, Commander Offee," he had answered her quietly. Gree knew he wasn't supposed to hear that interaction, but the sensors on his helmet picked it up. He was shocked at the Commander's question, and equally as shocked that Jax had almost been about to call her by her first name. Since then, he had watched the interactions between the squad and the Padawan closely._

_Shadow Squad seemed very at ease at her, where as his men were tense and sharp, standing at attention like a shiny straight off Kamino. The transferred squad would even go as far as to flirt with her sometimes, which she would respond to by also flirting. That had shocked all the men. Most were afraid to look her in the eyes, much less flirt with her._

_Then, one night, Gree had been checking up on everyone and found Jax wasn't in his barracks. Gree wasn't too concerned, as the Captain was off-duty, but it was the hour where anyone not on-duty was asleep. He had found him with Barriss, sitting in the Mess and talking quietly. Gree had stood, undetected, in the doorway, watching and wishing he had his helmet on so he could hear what they were saying._

_He saw Jax gently place his gloved hand on Barriss's cheek and she had leaned into it, smiling softly. Then Jax had said something and she had laughed, her face lighting up, lost in a memory she shared with the Captain. Then Jax stood and held his arm out to her. She had studied him with pursed lips for a moment before smiling again and standing up, her back to Gree. _

_The Commander saw Jax and Barriss clasp hands and hold their arms slightly out to side. He saw Barriss wrap her arm around Jax's torso and Jax had placed his hand at the small of her back. Gree decided he definitely needed to talk to the new Captain about inappropriately touching the Commander, but then they started dancing, Jax humming softly. Barriss, not quite as tall as the clones, but up their chins, had rested her head on his shoulder, that soft smile playing on her lips again while she matched Jax's steps with her own._

_Then Jax had leaned over and kissed her forehead and Gree had almost jumped out of his hiding spot, but stopped himself, as he had seen the tears in Barriss's eyes. One escaped and rolled down her cheek and Jax had stopped dancing, gently wiping it away with the back of his thumb._

_They sat down again, this time at a table closer to the door so Gree could hear their softly-spoken conversation._

"_How are you, really, Jax?" she asked, not using his title, which surprised Gree. "Not your squad, you. How are _you_?" Jax sighed and kissed her forehead again. Barriss leaned up into his touch and then rested her head on his shoulder._

"_I miss Lylla and Ciri," he admitted quietly at last. Gree stored those two names in memory so he could look them up later. They had to be somewhere in the GAR, probably the civilian branch, for Jax to have had contact with them. Barriss closed her eyes._

"_Ciri-Rose Bella Reed," she had murmured. "A beautiful name for your beautiful daughter." Gree nearly choked on the air he was breathing in. The Captain had a daughter. And Commander Offee knew and hadn't reported it. He wondered whether he should report it to the General, then decided against it. The Commander knew what she was doing, even if he didn't._

"_Jia gave me information on them. The Jedi took her to the Temple," Jax murmured. "Lylla's heartbroken. Our little girl gone to be a Jedi. She probably won't even remember us."_

"_She will, Jax," Barriss comforted. "Jedi have amazing memory, and she was nearly a year, give or take a few months, when they took her. She might not remember your faces or what you looked like, but she'll remember your Force signatures, your voices, how you touched her, how you loved her. She'll remember that you loved each other. She'll remember your heartbeat. She'll remember that you three were a family."_

_A single tear had slid down Jax's cheek at that and he rested his head on Barriss's head. Gree was beyond his shock now, having accepted that this Captain and his Commander had a relationship beyond trooper and superior. They were friends. Good friends. They had a shared history._

"_What about you, Barriss?" Again, Gree nearly choked. He had never heard anyone, save Commander Offee's Master, who had called the Padawan by her first name._

"_I miss Cody and Jia," she told him. "Cody especially. I hope he's not too mad at Jia."_

"_He was, but he knew she had done her best and he forgave her because he knew it wasn't her fault you were taken," Jax told her._

"_Jia rescued me, with some help from Hondo Ohnaka's pirates," Barriss's lips quirked up in amusement. "And they didn't even ask for payment."_

"_Jia has friends in high places," Jax said, chuckling. "Just not the high places we typically think of." Both had shared a smile before becoming somber again._

"_She took me to Alderaan, placed me in a hospital and set up meetings with a psychologist," Barriss continued. "I was temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Jia was furious. I thought she would go kill someone on the spot. But I slowly healed. The psychologist helped, but some things still aren't gone."_

"_You jump," Jax noted. "And you're about to call for one of us like you used to. Lylla, me, Jia, Fives, Waxer, Boil; anyone of them. And Cody. You called for him most often."_

_Gree had silently left after that. The Captain and Commander had a special relationship, but they weren't lovers. They were friends, close friends. Best friends. Almost like brothers-by-choice, but not quite. Gree could tell Jax already had a brother-by-choice, but hadn't figured out who yet, though he knew they weren't in his squad._

_Later the next day, Gree had called Jax into his office. Jax had stood, patiently waiting for the Commander to explain why he was there. When Gree said nothing, Jax sighed._

"_I know you saw Commander Offee and I last night," he said. "I know you don't approve, but, Commander, it's our call whether we want to be friends or not, not yours."_

_Gree nodded and then sighed. He looked at Jax. He didn't like Jax, and he knew Jax didn't like him, but they respected each other, and they respected Commander Offee. It was that respect that made Gree say his next words._

"_She's been broken by something and needs to heal," he told Jax quietly, and saw the Captain nodding. Gree looked directly into Jax's eyes. "Take care of her."_

* * *

"Commander Gree," Barriss gave him a small smile as she acknowledge him, but she glowed as she acknowledged Viz. Gree swallowed another sigh. She counted the entire Shadow Squad as her friends due to something they had all been through, he had learned that quickly.

"How can we help you, Commander Offee?" Viz asked her, and Gree silently cursed himself. It should've been him asking that, but he was glad the Lieutenant had stepped in. He hoped the Commander wouldn't mind. It seemed she didn't.

"When one of you finds Jax, tell him I don't want him to have his own squad," she said. "Master and I agree that he'll be more like a drifter. He'll help out a little with every squad. As will you, Commander Gree." Gree was a little surprised, but he nodded.

"Will do, Commander," he said. She smiled at him and then turned to Viz.

"Lieutenant Viz, will you also inform Jax that I would like to meet with him in the Mess when he gets off-duty?" she asked. It was a question, not an order. Viz was free to turn down if he wanted, but he simply gave her a nod and soft grin. She had grinned back and then walked away.

"I should give you a demerit for how informal and how many regulations you break with the Commander," Gree said quietly. Viz looked at him, waiting for him to continue, and Gree gave the Lieutenant a half-smile. "But I won't." Viz gave him a nod.

"I appreciate it, sir," he said. Gree looked at him for a moment.

"Your shifts over, Lieutenant," he said. "Report to me at 1700 this evening and I'll assign you your squad." Viz gave him another nod and then turned to walk away. Gree watched the young clone leave, noticing how he seemed to have a scout's walk; silent, soft on his feet, almost slinking through the corridors. It was a walk that would allow him to disappear without anyone noticing if he wanted.

Again, Gree now realized all of Shadow Squad walked like that when they were off-duty. He knew it would relate somehow back to their training, back to those classified three months.

With yet another sigh, he turned back to watch the shinies, Jax's words ringing in his ears. "_My squad and I will help train the squads you give us to perfection, but the ones who can't keep up, the ones who aren't fast enough or smart enough, or _individual_ enough, my squad and I won't be able to tolerate."_ Even though Gree barely knew the Captain, he knew those words were true; probably the most truthful and un-cryptic answer he would ever get from the man.

* * *

Boba started as a soft beeping came from Jia's laptop. He checked the room and then paused and listened. She was still in the shower, and he could hear her singing faintly. Then he pulled out her computer, typed in the passcode to unlock it, and was surprised to see a clone face staring at him.

"Aww, kriff," the clone muttered. "It's that _shabla_ bounty hunter."

"Move," another clone demanded, and Boba recognized him as Jax. He took the other clone's, Viz's, place and glared at the bounty hunter.

"Where's Jia?" he asked.

"The shower," Boba answered.

"Why do you have her laptop?" Jax was even more suspicious now. Boba just shook his head.

"I won't let you talk to her on this, but I'll let you talk to her if you contact me," he said. Jax narrowed his eyes at him.

"Fine," he said sharply, and took down the com number Boba gave him.

"Oh, and don't mention this little meeting to Jia," Boba said before the clone signed off.

"Why?" Jax asked.

"You'll know by the time you're done talking to her," Boba answered. Jax nodded and then they both signed off at the same time.

Boba closed the laptop and stuck it back in his suitcase, and resumed cleaning one of his blasters as Jia stepped out of the shower, wrapped in a towel, her sopping hair dripping down her back.

She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off as Boba's comm went off. She looked at him pointedly and he sighed and answered it.

"What?" he growled.

"I would like to speak to Jiana Sasha White," a familiar voice said. There was no sign of Viz.

Boba was glad the clone was acting as if the last conversation hadn't happened. He turned to Jia and saw that she was already beside him, staring at the clone happily.

"Jax!" she cried. She grabbed Boba's comm and went to the bed, lying down on her stomach and looking at him.

"Hey, Jia," Jax's tone had softened considerably and he smiled gently at her. She grinned back at him, her eyes sparkling.

"So, what do you need?" she asked.

"Our new Commander, Gree of the 41st Elite, wants access to our records of your training and the search mission, though I was aware that someone deleted them." As he spoke, he gave Jia a pointed look and she grinned sheepishly.

"Well, you see, what had happened was…," she began and Jax chuckled.

"I know you have a back-up of the information somewhere," he said. Jia sighed and pretended to be annoyed.

"Why do you have to know everything?" she whined, though she was trying not to smile. Boba watched the conversation curiously. He had never seen this side of Jia before.

"Because you trained me to," was Jax's playful retort. Jia grinned again.

"Yeah, I know," she said, smugness now in her voice. Jax rolled his eyes.

"Alright, di'kut," he said. "It would nice if you could send me the back-up."

"It's an embedded file on the USB I already gave you," Jia told him.

"Datastick," Jax corrected. Jia raised her eyebrows.

"'Scuse you?" she asked, and Jax smiled slightly.

"It's called a datastick, not a USB drive," he elaborated.

"Oh," Jia said. "Well, it's on there. I figured once I deleted it I could give you control of it. I mean, it's all about you guys anyway." Jax nodded.

"And I'll make sure that if it is downloaded onto the GAR database, it'll have a self-erasing virus," Jax informed her. Jia smiled.

"Yeah, I did good with you guys," she said with a contented sigh. Jax rolled his eyes again, and Jia laughed.

"So, where are you and why are you with that bounty hunter?" Jax asked after a moment. Jia sighed and looked down.

"I joined him on a job," she said quietly. "And it kinda went sideways. I'm now a slave for Jabba." Jax's eyes darkened with fury.

"We'll come get you, Jia," he said. "I'll request transfer right away, and then we'll just disappear, let them think we were killed or taken hostage."

"No, Jax, don't," Jia ordered softly. "We have a plan for getting out. Technically, Baldy now owns me, and he's supposed to take me on jobs for, uh, recreational purposes. When he gets his next job, I'm free as soon as we're in space."

"Jia, have you two had sex?" Jax asked in a low voice. Jia swallowed and nodded, and Jax closed his eyes, letting out a string of curses.

"But it was only when he didn't own me yet," Jia explained quietly. "I had to otherwise I would be fed to the rancor. I've been here for a few days and I still have no clue what in the hell that is." Jax smiled a little at her comment and opened his eyes.

"What about Derek?" he asked.

"I'll tell him as soon as I can," she said. "I'll tell him everything. He'll probably be a little mad at me, but he'll understand. He always understands." Jax nodded and then grinned.

"We all miss you," he said. "The orders we're being given are very vague and boring compared to yours. There's no "okay, guys, time to go blow up the club owners" or "and this con is called the double-blind" and there's none of your educational comments like "it would probably be a good idea to wait until after we rapel down the building to eat in case you upchuck." And Barriss is lonely. She misses Cody and you and Lylla and Ahsoka. And, of course, all of us who came with you."

"Yeah, that was fun 'til the end," Jia said, also smiling. Jax turned his head to look at something to the side then he sighed.

"That was Gree," he said. "I'm using his computer to contact you and he needs it again. Send me some sort of message to tell me when you get out."

"'Kay, Jax," Jia said. She blew a kiss to him. "_Te amo, hermano,_" she said. She had taught him, and only him, that one line during the search mission. It was theirs and only theirs. He smiled.

"_Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, vodal'ika,_" he, in turn, had taught her that. Jia gave him an almost-bittersweet smile and he knew she was missing him, pining for him and his squad and Lylla and Barriss and the others. Then she sighed and cut the connection. She handed the comm back to Boba and lay back on the bed, the need to get dressed forgotten.

"You two are close friends?" Boba asked. Jia shook her head and sighed again. Then she looked up at Boba.

"No, Baldy, not close friends," she told him quietly. "Jax is my brother."

* * *

Jax gave Gree an almost-lazy salute.

"Thank you, Commander," he said. He seemed more subdued than when he had entered the office. "You'll have the file by tomorrow."

Gree nodded, dismissing him, and Jax gave him another lazy salute before turning and walking off. Gree watched him leave for a moment, wondering what had happened. Shaking his head, he turned and entered his office.

He was curious who the Captain had contacted and sat down at his desk. He figured that Jax had turned off the automatic recording, and was surprised when he brought up the recordings of the two people Jax had contacted.

The first recording showed a flat picture of a man in Mandalorian armor. Viz let out some curses and then Jax took his place. He argued with the warrior and they both signed off. Gree got nothing out of that except that the person trying to be contacted was a female named Jia and she was with the Mandalorian bounty hunter.

The next recording told him more. Jia was a teenage human. She was currently a slave for Jabba the Hutt. She seemed to know Jax intimately. She had somehow deleted all traces of her existence from the GAR database, but had backed it up on a datastick she had given Jax. She, too, was friends with Barriss. She had a boyfriend named Derek. She had trained Jax and Shadow Squad. They went on some sort of mission together.

Something else also caught Gree's attention. They both kept mentioning Cody, and Barriss had mentioned him when she was talking to Jax that night in the mess. Gree had a feeling it was Commander Cody of the 212th, but wasn't sure, and he wasn't going to ask. He could tell the Jedi Padawan had feelings for the Cody that kept appearing in conversations and he didn't want to get involved in _that_.

The name Lylla was mentioned again, and Ahsoka was brought up in conversation. Jia referenced someone she called 'Baldy,' though Gree suspected that wasn't the person's real name.

As the recording finished, Gree realized Viz had answered his question honestly. Jia was the one who gave him access to their records. She was also the only one Jax completely obeyed without arguing or mutiny. Then Jia said something to the Captain, something in a different language, but Gree could tell by her tone and her body language it was something of endearment. Jax responded in Mando'a.

"_I love you, little sister,_" was what he had said. Gree paused the recording and leaned back in his chair, studying the frozen image of the girl.

He could tell she was powerful in different ways than he was or knew how to be. He could tell she was clever and witty and smart from the way that her eyes picked up on everything Jax was saying, verbally and non-verbally. He could tell she cared greatly for Shadow Squad, but for Jax particularly. Gree sighed and closed his eyes. _Only Jax,_ he thought. He opened his eyes and looked back at the frozen image of Jia giving Jax a small, bittersweet smile.

He could tell he had found Jax's brother-by-choice.

* * *

_I think this might be my favorite chapter out of the entire story. And yes, I updated yesterday, but I told you guys I had the computer to myself. So, Jax is back in the picture; he becomes really important later on. He is also a little proud of his squad and gets a little arrogant when he talks about them, but that's okay; he's usually a good guy. Barriss is also back. She, too, plays an important role later. What Jia says to Jax is in Spanish and the translation is "I love you, brother." Aww, so sweet._

_Has anyone figured out what's going on with Jacob yet? If not, don't worry. All will be revealed next chapter. As always read, review, enjoy..._


	62. Getting The Band Back Together Pt 1

_I know it took me about two weeks to update, but I finally got around to it. I know I said what was going on with Jacob would be revealed in this chapter, but I didn't really get around to it. I'll try for the next chapter, but no promises there. It's starting to wrap up. Only maybe five or six chapters left; and then an epilogue or two. I've been a little lacking on what you guys think. I'm really honestly and truly curious! Anywho, enjoy Part 1._

**Getting The Band Back Together**

**(Part 1)**

Barriss padded down the hallway towards the Mess, where she had told Jax to meet her. She entered and saw him sitting patiently at a table in the corner of the room, watching his brothers, his head tipped slightly to the side. She knew he was working on his people-reading skills, improving and modifying them as needed.

It was a practice Jia had had all of them do if they were in a public place and waiting for the mark or a signal to be given. At first a lot of the clones had resented it, not wanting to admit they're skills weren't good enough, but after they got used to it, they found it enjoyable. Now, she knew, it was like habit to Jax and probably the rest of his squad.

All the troopers in the Mess stood at attention and saluted her as one, and she couldn't decide whether she enjoyed being back where the rules and formality was strict, or whether she missed how lax Jia had been, dissolving all ranks and formalities.

"At ease," she said softly with a small smile and a nod. The clones all sat down and resumed what they had been doing, except Jax, who remained standing respectfully until she reached him. Like a gentleman, he let her sit down first before he sat back down.

"I spoke with Jia," he said without preamble. Barriss looked up at him, interested.

"How is she?" she asked eagerly. Jax sighed and rolled his eyes.

"She's gotten herself stuck with that bounty hunter as a sex slave for Jabba," he muttered, his hand clenching into a fist.

Copying something she had seen Jia do many times to calm the clones, Barriss took his clenched hand in her own and gently straightened it out. Unlike the clones of the 41st Elite she had done this with, Jax didn't flinch at her touch or become tense with apprehension. Instead, he relaxed and let out a deep breath, accepting her help.

"Of course she has," Barriss murmured as she worked. Jax's lips quirked up in a small smile and his anger receded slightly.

He could see some of the other clones in the mess looking at him and the Commander, and hear them whispering, but he ignored them. If things got out of hand, he could always call a one-on-one. Besides, he sort of liked the attention.

"I told her to send me some sort of sign when she got out," Jax continued after a moment. "Knowing her, we should be getting that sign in a day or two."

"Or three or four," Barriss added, giggling. Jax smiled, caught up in the humor of the moment.

"We'll probably get it in some sort of explosion or fireworks in the middle of space or something," he said, chuckling. Barriss was laughing so hard now she was leaning into Jax's armored shoulder, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter, her breathing coming in short gasps. Jax looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"I didn't think it was that funny," he commented after she had settled down, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Maybe just stress-relief laughter," Barriss said with a shrug. Jax shook his head slightly and rolled his eyes, muttering something about "Jedi being strange and…" In response, Barriss gave him a light hit on his chest, sucking in her breath slightly as the armor dug into the back of her hand.

"You know, armor hurts when you hit it," Jax commented in a normal voice, as if the comment was off-hand. "Just so you know."

Barriss let out a 'hmph' and saw the muscles around Jax's mouth twitch as he tried not to smile. She rolled her eyes slightly and got up.

"I'll talk to you later," she muttered. "When there's a little more privacy and when you don't feel the need to be so mean." Jax looked up at her, offended.

"I am not mean," he argued. Barriss gave him a knowing look.

"You learned from Jia," she told him. "Of course you're mean."

"Oh, now that implies a lot more insults than to just me," Jax said. Barriss just gave an amused sigh and left the Mess. Jax watched her leave then shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. He was about to get some food when his comlink went off.

"Captain, come in," Jax recognized Viz's voice.

"Talk fast, Lieutenant," he sighed.

"You're a drifter," Viz snapped, though Jax knew it wasn't him his brother was annoyed with; it was the shinies. "Drift on over here. Commander Gree has already been by."

"Is that an order, Lieutenant?" Jax asked, amused.

"Jax, I swear if you don't get your _shabla shebs_ over here-," Viz was interrupted by Jax.

"Yes, Lieutenant, sir!" the Captain said crisply. Viz started swearing impressively and Jax allowed it to go on for a moment before he cut it off. "Alright, Viz, that's enough. No need to show off how well you can curse. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Good," Viz said sharply before cutting off the connection. Jax rolled his eyes again and made his way towards the entrance to the Mess when he overheard a softly-spoken comment; one he was sure he wasn't supposed to hear.

"… got a civvie girl pregnant, has an affair going with some bounty hunter girl, and now the Commander." Jax stopped and looked to identify the speaker. It was a shiny from Ouro's squad. Jax dug around in his memory to get the shiny's name, then spoke up.

"If you have something to say, Speed, please, speak up," he said pleasantly. Speed froze and slowly looked up at Jax.

"What did you hear, sir?" he asked hesitantly. Jax gave him a friendly grin.

"I will be reporting it to you squad leader, so I expect you'll find out soon enough," he spoke in a conversational voice, no trace of malice or anger; and he could tell that's what had the shiny most terrified.

Not waiting for a response, Jax turned and continued on his way to where Viz was running through drills with his squad. Jax shook his head as he walked and forced down his annoyance with Speed. _Shinies,_ he thought, _all the same; ignorant, innocent, and annoying as hell. _

He stopped by his barracks to change into some sweatpants and a loose T-shirt; clothes he had gotten while on the mission with Jia. He knew whatever Viz had his squad doing, it would be exercising of some sort, which was always more comfortable in loose clothes than armor.

He was getting ready to leave when he saw the envelope sitting on his bed, with words in a foreign language in a familiar scrawl. Smiling, he picked up the envelope and took it with him. It would be a good lesson for the shinies.

* * *

Boba sighed again and glared at Jia's back through his visor.

"Why did we have to stop here?" he growled. Jia didn't glance back at him.

"I needed to send something to my friend, but we can leave now," she snapped at him, equally annoyed. Before the bounty hunter could respond, she marched off in the direction of his ship and he had no choice but to follow.

It had taken many days, but he had finally been given another job by the Hutt crime lord, and, as expected of him, had brought Jia along for recreational purposes. Of course, as soon as they had gotten into the privacy of the ship, she had shed the slave outfit and changed into some pajama shorts and a cami; not giving any regard to the fact that he had been standing right there.

"You've already seen me naked anyways," she had snapped at him when he let out an annoyed huff and turned his head away.

She had then made him stop in Mos Eisley to send some sort of drawing to someone. It had taken nearly all day to find a postal service she approved of and now the suns were starting to set.

"Where do you want me to drop you off at, Blondie?" Boba asked as he fired up the Slave I and took off.

"I don't know. I'm working on their location," Jia murmured. Then she looked up at him. "No, wait, Alderaan. I need to get to Alderaan, ASAP." Boba chuckled.

"Can't wait to get back to your little boyfriend?" he asked innocently. Jia glared at him and launched a small med kit at his helmeted head.

"You're just jealous," she taunted.

"Not at all," Boba retorted. "I got what pretty boy hasn't even _looked at yet_." At that, Jia became very still and her eyes darkened in anger.

"I hate you," she hissed out through clenched teeth, suddenly seething. "I hate you _so much_! You forced me into that; don't go making it like I wanted to do that!"

With that, she turned and stormed out of the cockpit. Boba watched her leave and sighed. He hadn't expected her to react like _that_. Oh well. She'd be gone in just a few short hours.

* * *

Jia ran up the steps, taking them two at a time. She hadn't bothered with the elevator since there had been such a large group of people. Not soon enough, she came to Derek's floor and sprinted down the hallway, excitement at seeing her love again giving her an endless amount of energy. She skidded to a stop in front of his door and rang the doorbell desperately, again and again. Finally, Derek opened the door.

Not waiting for him to say anything, Jia launched herself at him. He caught her and stumbled back into his apartment, falling down hard onto the floor. Jia didn't bother to apologize; instead, she wrapped her arms tightly around his torso and buried her face in his shirt.

He was still for a moment before he ran his hands down her face and through her hair, his eyes filled with hope and hesitance, as if he was worried she wasn't actually there.

"You're back," he breathed finally. Jia smiled and nodded, looking up at him. His eyes sparkled with love and happiness and relief. "No signal, no sign; you just disappeared. And then you didn't contact me or anyone and I was worried you had been killed or that bounty hunter had turned you in."

"I'm here, I'm alive, I'm safe," Jia told him, talking fast due to her excitement. She repeated what she thought was most important. "I'm here."

Derek just smiled and pulled her down into a deep, passionate kiss. They broke apart after a couple moments, breathing heavily, and Jia suddenly felt the weight of what she had allowed to happen at Jabba's Palace in her stomach.

Getting up off the floor, she closed the door and then offered a hand down to help Derek up. He didn't seem to notice her sudden decrease in happiness and excitement.

"Put your stuff away and then we can go out to eat or something," he said, still smiling brightly. Jia just shook her head and grasped his hand in both of hers.

"Come sit with me," she told him quietly. "I have something I need to tell you." Derek shot her a looked full of curiosity and concern and followed her to the sofa.

"What is it, Jia?" he asked when she said nothing for several minutes. Taking a deep breath, Jia explained to him everything that had happened, since she had first left with the bounty hunter, not trying to defend her actions or twist the story; just telling it as it was. Derek was very still for a long while after she had finished her story and she remained silent, giving him time to comprehend everything she had just said.

"So, you kissed a cadet, and then had sex with the bounty hunter," Derek repeated quietly after a moment. Jia winced and nodded. Her boyfriend let out a long breath and then looked at her. "Why did you tell me?" Jia looked confused.

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked him. There wasn't any attitude or sarcasm in her voice; she was asking an honest question. Derek had to grin at that. It was one thing he loved about Jia. She was always completely honest with him and expected the same from him, and she saw no reason not to be, no matter how bad the actions seemed.

"It's just," Derek struggled to explain. "Most people would have kept that hidden unless they absolutely had to tell." Jia looked even more confused but then shook it off.

"Well, I would tell you anything, no matter what," she said, not sure how to respond to that.

"I know," Derek said softly. He twined his fingers with Jia's and looked into her deep blue eyes. "Thank you." Jia looked at him happily.

"So you aren't angry?" she asked hopefully.

"I am a little, but not at you," Derek said. "At the bounty hunter." Jia laughed a little.

"Yeah, I am too," she said. "So, you were saying something about going out to eat? Because I am _starving._ When you're a slave for Jabba, you don't get fed very well." Derek laughed.

"I was thinking a fancy place, just so I have an excuse to see you all dressed up," he said. Jia rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"Well, then it'll be a while, because I cannot wait to take a steaming hot shower, where the hot water supply lasts longer than ten minutes," she teased. Derek groaned.

"My water bill is going to be sky high this month, isn't it?" he asked. Jia just looked at him innocently and shrugged. Then she got a thoughtful look on her face.

"How about that café where we first met?" she suggested. "It's semi-formal, and it's all nice and warm and friendly; something I was seriously lacking this past couple weeks."

"It's been about a month and a half," Derek told her softly. Jia grimaced.

"Yeah, I know," she sighed. Then she smiled. "But I'm here now, so let's not worry about that, yeah?" Derek chuckled.

"Okay," he said. "Now, go take your steaming hot shower so we can go eat." Jia complied, laughing as she made her way to the bathroom. Derek waited until he heard the shower start and then unzipped the backpack she had brought in and looked through it.

He found nothing interesting: a few outfits, her laptop, and an assortment of weapons. He smiled to himself at the last thing. _Of course the thing she has in the largest quantity is weapons, _he thought. He closed the backpack and set it to the side.

Jia got done with her shower fairly quickly and exited the bathroom. She found an outfit laid out on the bed and smiled. It was a blue-and-white polka-dotted skirt with a translucent white blouse. A brown belt and brown wedges accompanied the skirt and shirt.

"You have a good fashion sense," she commented to Derek, who was trying to sneak up on her from behind the door. He sighed and gave her a good-natured smile.

"Thank you," he said. "And I'm never going to be able to sneak up on you, am I?" Jia grinned at him triumphantly.

"Nope," she answered, popping the 'p.' Derek sighed again, then perked back up.

"Well, hurry up and get dressed, because by now, I'm the one that's starving." Jia just made a face at him before turning back to the clothes.

Taking a deep breath, she let the towel drop from around her body as she reached for a clean pair of underwear. She heard Derek's breath catch and then saw him walk around so he was sitting on the edge of the bed, respectfully not looking at her.

"It's okay, Derek," she told him. "The bounty hunter saw; it's your turn. It's only fair." He turned to face her, but kept his eyes glued to her face.

"Not until you're ready," he argued gently. Jia gave a 'hmph' of annoyance at the fact that he was trying to protect her in his own little way.

"Fine," she huffed. Derek smiled and shook his head.

"It's only because I love you," he insisted.

"Yeah, yeah," Jia retorted. Derek pretended to be hurt.

"You don't believe me?" he asked. Jia gave an exasperated noise in the back of her throat.

"Of course I believe you," she said. "I just don't like you protecting me."

"Oh," Derek said. He looked thoughtful for a moment before grinning up at her. "Too bad!"

Jia proceeded to ignore him as she finished getting dressed. She quickly tied her hair back in two braids and slipped on the heels. Finally she looked at Derek again.

"Alright, I'm hungry," she declared. "Let's go!"

Smiling, Derek looped arms with her and led her out of the apartment.

* * *

Jax stood, watching, while Viz addressed the squad that had been assigned to him. In his hand was the envelope from Jia. In the envelope had been a drawing of a Jedi in a defensive stance, swinging two lightsabers. Lightly drawn and made to look like shadows had been the outline of an angel; that's how Jax had known for sure Jia had sent the picture.

"Sir, what will looking at a drawing do to help us?" one of the shinies asked. Viz looked back at Jax, who stepped forward. Instinctively, all the shinies straightened even more and held perfectly still.

"As I'm sure you all know by now, Lieutenant Viz and I were trained a little differently than you all," he began. "You were assigned to us for a reason: so we could teach you the extra skills we know. Now, you all might not be Special Ops, but having skills, like being able to decipher hidden messages, will be very helpful to everyone; the Jedi and your brothers."

"Was it that bounty hunter girl, sir?" another one of Viz's squad asked. Jax narrowed his eyes at the clone.

"Who it was does not matter to you," he said in a neutral voice. The shiny nodded once and remained silent.

Viz opened his mouth to speak again when the klaxon alarms started going off. The lights shut off and the emergency lights flickered to life.

"Find Commander Gree and tell him I sent you," Viz ordered. "He'll tell you what you need to do."

"Sir, we aren't in our armor," one of the younger clones objected.

"What about you, sir?" another one asked at the same time.

"Just follow orders, shiny, and maybe you'll live," Jax snapped, not giving Viz the chance to respond. His brother shot him an annoyed look and then turned and exited the room.

"Know who it is?" he asked the Captain.

"Only one person would be stupid enough to try and dock with us while we're in sublight," Jax panted. Viz grinned, knowing _exactly_ who it was.

"I'll call the rest of the squad together," Viz said, as they stopped by his barracks so he could grab his helmet.

"How do you plan to let them know why?" Jax asked as they made their way to his barracks.

"Archangel," Viz said simply as he slipped his helmet on. Jax quickly grabbed his helmet from his bunk and they continued on their way towards where the intruder had attached to the cruiser.

"Shadow Squad, count in," Jax ordered as his helmet blinked to life.

It was an unusual way the squad called role, but a very simple and effective one Jia had made up while they had been on Kamino. She had given each one of them a number, one through seven, and whenever she gave the order "count in," they were to list their numbers in numerical order. If a number wasn't listed, that person either wasn't connected in any way to the squad or was under duress.

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

"Four."

"Five."

"Six."

"Seven."

Jax, being the leader, was number seven; the last so he could make sure everyone else was there. If they didn't make it to his number, something was wrong with one of his brothers.

"Any guesses on who it could be?" Peixe teased, well-aware of who it was.

"Archangel," Viz answered. "Meet up where she's trying to get in."

"Everyone else will be there," Tenger pointed out. "They'll be preparing to kill her."

"That's why we need to get there," Havet joined the conversation. "Fast."

"Shut up and run," Jax ordered, effectively shutting down the conversation.

He and Viz made it to the breach first. They forced their way through the clones that had formed a defensive circle around the hatch that Jia had attached her ship to.

"Captain, Lieutenant, get back!" Gree snapped. He was ignored by the two troopers who were still struggling to get to the hatch.

It opened and everyone held their breath, waiting for something, _someone_, to happen. It did, in the form of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, dark-clothed blur that fell to the ground. She popped up and spun around, only to find herself face-to-barrel with Commander Gree's DC-15.

She froze and then cocked her head to the side, her eyes flicking back and forth as she searched the crowd. Finally, her gaze landed on Jax and Viz. She bit her lip in thought and then looked back at Gree, her eyes narrowing. Jax knew that look.

"Commander, duck!" he shouted as Jia grabbed the gun, aimed a kick at Gree's chest, and fired the weapon at the ceiling. Luckily for the Commander, he listened to Jax and was able to successfully avoid getting the wind knocked out of him.

Jia tossed the weapon to the side and then leapt at Jax, flying through the clones and knocking into him. He let out an '_oof'_ as he stumbled back, barely catching himself from falling onto the floor. The other clones had aimed their guns at Jia, but didn't fire for fear of hitting him.

"I found you!" she cried happily, pulling back from her hug.

"Jia, you should know better than to try and sneak onto a ship like this," he chastised. Jia huffed at him.

"Aren't you glad to see me?" she asked in an annoyed voice.

"Captain?" Gree asked, approaching Jax and Jia. "Care to explain what's going on?"

Jia turned around and held out her hand to him.

"Jiana Sasha White," she introduced herself. Gree remained still, waiting for Jax to answer, which the Captain didn't. When Gree didn't respond, Jia narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

"Commander Gree," the Commander said stiffly. Jia sighed and rolled her eyes before turning back to Jax.

"Now, where's Barriss?" she asked. "I want to see her. Like _now_!"

"Right here," the Mirilian answered. Jia spun around and greeted her much the same way she had Jax. When the broke apart from the hug, Barriss looked around at the clones, who were still in fighting position. "At ease, gentlemen, she's a friend."

"They can stay that way if they want," Jia said, talking over Barriss. "Let's go get some food. I'm hungry." Not waiting for the Jedi to respond, she pulled her in the direction of the Mess.

Jax turned to look at Viz who sighed and shook his head.

"She hasn't changed," he said. Jax nodded his agreement then turned to Gree.

"Commander, that was Jia," he informed Gree. "Friend to the Republic. Friend to Commander Offee. Brother to my squad and I. Assassin to anyone she doesn't like."

* * *

Jia had decided to go to the gym instead of the Mess, and had dragged the Jedi Padawan along with her. They were currently involved in hand-to-hand combat, Barriss aided by the Force, Jia aided with her training.

The clones that had been already working out had stopped what they were doing and were watching the two girls, though they were trying to be discreet about it. The skills of the Jedi and the assassin fascinated them.

Jia ducked and rolled under Barriss, spinning back up to her feet. By the time she was up, the Padawan had already circled behind her and she arched her back, the kick Barriss had aimed at her barely skimming over her. Jia finished bending into a bridge and then kicked her legs over her head, spinning on her hands as she did so. It was Barriss's turn to duck and roll to avoid Jia's flying legs. Both girls regained their footing and spun to face each other.

Jax found Gree watching them spar, standing with his arms crossed and a slight frown on his face.

"She's something, huh, Commander?" Jax asked.

"Which one?" Gree asked sarcastically. Jax chuckled.

"Both of them," he decided after a moment. Gree nodded his agreement.

"I've seen Commander Offee practice her katas and sparring with General Unduli, but I've never seen her fight anything like this," he told Jax. Jax nodded.

"It's a type of fighting Jia taught us on Kamino and Commander Offee and a civvie on our mission," he explained to his Commander. "It's more like a dance, but just as deadly as any other form of martial arts. It's usually more impressive when there's weapons involved, which I bet will be included in a little while."

"That's pretty impressive as it is," Gree murmured, watching as Jia and Barriss each did a turning-side kick, their legs barely missing each other. Barriss used the Force to soften her fall back to the mat, landing gracefully on one knee. Jia on the other hand, since she didn't have the Force, twisted herself into a ball, landed on her shoulders, and rolled to her feet. Both girls went at each other again, barely taking time to draw a breath.

Jia suddenly had two identical, curved hunting knives that were about eighteen inches long. Jax wondered where she had gotten them, and then decided it was better if he didn't know. Knowing her, she probably stole them.

Barriss also pulled out two hunting knives, exactly like Jia's. The two girls gave each other a quick grin and then started their lethal dance again.

"And there're the weapons," Jax muttered, rolling his eyes. Gree smiled slightly and turned to address the Captain, but he was suddenly gone. He looked back out to where his Commander and the assassin were practicing, and saw Jax had found a lance and was sneaking up on Jia. Barriss glanced briefly at him and he shook his head slightly. She just turned her attention back to Jia.

Then Jax leapt at Jia, his lance coming dangerously close to impaling her. She let out a startled shriek as she fell to the floor, barely avoiding the weapon. She was up in a second, going at Jax. Barriss also turned on the clone and for a second Gree thought the two girls were working together, but then he saw Jia arc one of her hunting knives towards the Jedi and knew it was each man for himself.

"They are quite impressive," a soft voice commented near his ear. He turned and sharply saluted his General; he hadn't even noticed her enter. The ghost of a smile traced her lips. "At ease Commander. So that is the intruder?"

"Yes, sir," Gree said in a crisp, professional voice, all his attention on the female Jedi standing a step behind him. General Unduli let out a breath of laughter.

"She's the one that rescued my Padawan," she informed him. "And we greet her with guns blazing." Gree wasn't sure how to respond so he stayed quiet. General Unduli looked at him. "You are intrigued by her."

"Yes, sir," Gree said. He saw no reason to hide anything from his General; she knew everything anyways.

"Then you should talk to her," General Unduli advised. "I would do it myself, but she is not fond of Jedi. I am curious as to how my Padawan managed to become such good friends with her. She is, though, very opening and welcome to any and all clones. Do not be surprised if she spends the night in the medbay, asleep next to one of the men."

"Sir?" Gree had to make sure he had heard his General correctly. She chuckled.

"Jiana has been known to, shall we say, share a bed with some of the injured, offering them company and friendship," she told Gree. "And according to Masters Kenobi and Skywalker's reports, she also enjoys having a warm, alive body near her, no matter what."

"That could have some interesting outcomes, sir," Gree said carefully. His General chuckled again and Gree looked at her, noticing how she seemed a shade of green darker than moments ago.

"Of that, I am sure," she said. She nodded back to the fight that was occurring. "Tell Captain Jax I would like him to work with Jia and teach some of our troopers that style of fighting. My Padawan can also aid in the training if she can spare the time."

"Yes, sir," Gree said, snapping back to attention. With that, General Unduli left and Gree breathed a sigh of relief, noticing for the first time how tense he had been. He forced himself to relax and went back to watching the fight. He saw the rest of the clones in the gym had given up on being discreet and were now watching the clone, the Jedi, and the assassin spar with open curiosity and interest.

Suddenly Jia pinned Jax to the mat, one knife over his throat and the other aimed at Barriss, holding the Jedi still for the moment. Jax let out a frustrated huff.

"Down," Jia said, smirking. The Captain sighed but nodded, and Jia let him up. He set the lance to the side and stood back, watching as the two girls resumed.

"Good try, vod," Havet said, coming up beside Jax. "But she'll always be better. She's the one that taught us that." Jax shrugged.

"It was worth a shot," he said, his eyes following Jia's movements. She and Barriss danced round and round; spinning, ducking, rolling, twirling, leaping.

And then, in a move so quick even Jax missed it, each had one knife at the other's throat and the other knife behind the other's neck. Both girls were breathing hard, their chests heaving. Jia's hair had come out of her high ponytail and Barriss's hair had started coming out from under her hood. They looked disheveled and exhausted, but they were smiling.

Jia lowered her hunting knives first and tossed them to the ground. Barriss followed suit and they bowed to each other in the respectful Jedi way.

"That was fun," Jia panted. Barriss just nodded her agreement, too out of breath to answer verbally. Realizing the girls were done, the watching clones went back to what they had been doing before. Gree approached the two girls with Jax.

"Well done," he complemented. Barriss grinned up at him while Jia raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips.

"I'm waiting for you to point your gun at my head," she said after a moment. Gree flushed and looked down, and Jax chuckled. Jia hadn't changed _at all_, even though when he had contacted her through the bounty hunter she had looked like she had been dragged backwards through hell and back again.

When Gree didn't say anything, Jia gave an annoyed noise in the back of her throat.

"At least say _something_," she sighed.

"Uh, sorry," Gree said. It came out more like a question and he winced inwardly.

"Never apologize," Jia chastised. "It is a sign of weakness."

"Still doing that?" Jax asked. Jia just made a face at him, and then smacked him in the forehead when he made some un-brotherly hand gestures at her. Gree looked somewhat surprised, but Barriss laughed.

"Well, you two still don't get along," she commented.

"He started it," Jia said.

"She started it," Jax said at the same time. They both pointed at each other in synchrony, and Barriss raised her eyebrows.

"Mhmm," she said, smiling. Jia just rolled her eyes, but the Healer could tell the assassin girl was trying not to smile.

"Imma go shower," she announced as she walked away. "You guys better have a good hot water supply on this ship." With that, she exited the gym.

"We aren't gonna have any hot water left after she's done, are we?" Gree asked Jax and Barriss quietly.

"Hmm, no," Jax said, at the same time Barriss shook her head.

* * *

It was many hours later when Jia finally made her way to the medbay. She had already eaten, spending more time laughing and talking with Shadow Squad than actually consuming food. Now, as was habit, she was in the medbay.

The medical droid looked up at her, but Jia gave it her '_I feel like killing something' _glare, and it just looked away. Some of the clones were asleep, but most were awake, and watched her curiously as she approached the nearest bio-bed.

"General Unduli get a new Padawan?" one of the clones asked. Jia smiled at him.

"Actually no. My name's Jia," she introduced herself. "And I don't think I would do very well as a Jedi."

"Why, ma'am?" the clone in the closest bio-bed asked. Jia looked at him and tipped her head to the side.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"CT-," he started, but she cut him off.

"Dear Lord, how many times do I have to correct this?" she muttered. Raising her voice, she looked back at the clone. "I asked for your _name._" She spoke slowly, as if to a small child. "A _number _is not a _name._"

All the clones let out chuckles and the one nearest to her corrected himself.

"Jaye, ma'am," he said. "My name is Jaye."

"Hi, Jaye," Jia said. She was about to shake his hand, but noticed both arms were bandaged so settled for giving him a kiss on the cheek. "My name is Jia. Not 'ma'am'; just so we can clarify that." Jaye flushed red, but Jia pretended not to notice. She climbed up onto the bed and sat at cross-legged at the bottom, leaning back against the footboard.

Everyone was watching her curiously, but no one commented. After she was situated, Jia looked around.

"Well, someone say something," she told them. "I don't like silence."

"I think we were asking why you wouldn't be a good Jedi," Jaye reminded her.

"Oh, right," Jia said. She bit her lip for a moment as she contemplated what to do, then just decided to be straight-forward. "Well, it's because I'm an assassin. And get angry very, very easily."

"You seem pretty nice and calm to me," one of Jaye's brothers commented. Jia smiled.

"That's 'cause you haven't done anything to annoy me," she said. "You can ask anyone of Shadow Squad; I'm a nightmare when I'm pissed."

"Not very Jedi-like," Jaye observed, grinning when Jia rolled her eyes.

"So, do you guys like stories?" she asked after a moment.

"What kind of story?" another clone asked curiously.

"Well, it's an old one. I've had it on my iPod forever. But it's about a Republic, sort of like this one," Jia explained. "It's called _Legend_."

"Sounds interesting," Jaye said.

"Good," Jia told them all, "because I'm reading it to you whether you want me to or not." Again, all the conscious clones chuckled and watched as she pulled out a small, hand-held device and tapped the screen multiple times before she started reading.

It took about an hour for Jaye to figure out that this was one of those chapter stories; a novel. He had never had time to read one, nor had he ever been interested, but he was enjoying this one. He was also enjoying listening to Jia as she read. Her voice fell into a smooth, rhythmic cadence, her words accentuated by a slight accent he hadn't noticed before.

As he listened to the story, he studied the girl sitting at the foot of his bed. She was dressed in loose, comfortable clothing; what looked like sleep shorts and a shirt that was decorated with words in a language he didn't know. The sleeves and the collar had been cut off the shirt, making us publicly un-presentable as it could get. Her hair was pulled back up in the high pony on the top of her head, and the curls barely brushed her neck when she moved her head slightly as she read.

Scars decorated her skin all over, but they weren't like any of the scars Jaye had seen. These were smooth, just like her skin; the only way he knew they were scars was from the different coloring, some were a silver color and others were a darker tan than her skin. Bright blue eyes sparkled, outlined by wisps of baby hair that was coming out from the ponytail. Muscles rippled under her skin in a fascinating way as she shifted from time to time to become more comfortable.

After about three hours she set the device to the side and yawned widely. Jaye chuckled softly as the brothers that had been listening groaned in disappointment.

"I'm tired, though!" Jia complained.

"Where are you staying?" one of the other clones asked.

"Well, tonight, with Jaye," Jia answered. Jaye coughed in surprise.

"What?" he asked. Jia looked at him.

"Is that okay with you?" she asked. Jaye nodded, feeling his face heat up under his brothers' knowing looks. Jia smiled. "Good."

She stretched out next to him, crawling under the blankets and pressing against his side. Jaye sucked in his breath sharply; Jia's soft, warm body pressing against his felt _good._ The assassin girl froze and looked at him in concern.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, worried.

"Nothing," Jaye said quickly, hoping she wouldn't notice the rapid increase of his heartbeat. If she did, she pretended she didn't. Jia just nodded, shifting to get more comfortable.

When she was settled, she glared up at the harsh, florescent lights.

"Do they ever turn those off?" she grumbled. Not waiting for an answer, she pulled out another handheld device, hit the screen a couple times, and the lights suddenly dimmed. Jia sighed contentedly. "Better."

She yawned again and curled up, gently wrapping her arms around Jaye and resting her head on his chest. He was sure she could hear how fast his heart was, but was distracted from that thought when she sniffed him.

"You smell good," she murmured sleepily. Jaye's eyebrows pressed together in confusion and he craned his neck to look down at her, but saw she was already asleep, her upper back rising and falling slightly with deep, even breaths.

"You're looking very smug, vod," another clone, Sike, commented softly, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl.

"You'd be looking smug if she was sleeping next to you," Jaye retorted.

"She's sleeping _on_ you," Sike corrected, hints of jealousy coloring his voice. Jaye just shrugged as best he could and glanced back down at Jia. Her eyes fluttered open slightly and she glared at him.

"Shut up," she mumbled. Jaye shot Sike a pointed look, who rolled his eyes and grinned before rolling over and also falling asleep.

Jia shifted again, pressing even closer, if that was possible. Her skin was soft and smooth against his and Jaye felt her breaths in soft puffs on his neck. He felt heat rush through his veins and bit his tongue to keep from making any noise. It might be nice to have her sleeping beside him, but he knew he definitely wasn't getting any sleep; it was going to be a long night.


	63. Getting The Band Back Together Pt 2

**Getting The Band Back Together**

**(Part 2)**

Rex looked around at the bodies of his brothers; dead and injured. It made him angry, furious. Before, it used to make him sad, make him feel guilty for surviving, and sometimes angry ; but never anger like this.

Since Ahsoka had been missing, General Skywalker had been increasingly reckless, his casualties skyrocketing in the time his Padawan had been gone. After being with Jia for a year, who would fight to her last breath to keep her people alive and together, it was a rude wake-up call.

"Sir," Rex looked at and saw Fives approaching him with Jesse.

"What is it, Fives?" Rex asked tiredly. Fives removed his helmet and gave the Captain a knowing look, though there was also excitement in his gaze.

"A transmission came through for you," he reported. Rex nodded and his gaze slid to Jesse.

"Then why's Jesse here?" he asked the ARC.

"He came with me in case we needed to drag you shebs over to the transmitter," Fives explained.

"Why would you need to do that?" Rex asked suspiciously.

"General Skywalker's there, sir," Jesse spoke up quietly. Everyone in Torrent Squadron had gotten used to the informal way the ARC and the Captain talked to each other, but it didn't make them comfortable enough to do that.

Rex's hand tightened into a fist involuntarily and then he let out sigh and relaxed his hand.

"Alright men, come on," he said. Then he remembered the excitement in Fives's gaze. He opened his mouth to ask, than closed it again. He was sure he would find out soon enough.

They made their way to the transmitter; by then Fives was almost bouncing with excitement. Rex almost smiled. Almost. He hadn't smiled once since he had gotten back.

"Alright, got him," Fives said.

"Took you long enough."

Rex's head snapped up at the sound of a familiar female voice, laced with both annoyance and amusement. A life-size blue hologram image of Jia was standing with a hip cocked and her arms crossed. Her hair was pulled back in two French braids and the baby hairs held back by a brown headband. She was wearing a black, skin-tight nylon leather long-sleeve shirt and pair of pants tucked into soft leather boots that were also black.

She had two holsters riding low on her waist and two hunting knives strapped to her back. Her pocketknife was in its case and hooked to the edge of her boot. Rex raised his eyebrows. He knew that outfit.

"Stealing something?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jia answered, her voice a bit gargled by the transmitter. "A Jedi Padawan named Ahsoka Tano. I need a weapons guy for the job. You in?"

"I thought you disbanded us," Fives cut in.

"Shut it, ARCie, I'm talking to the grumpy Captain," Jia said, not even looking at Fives. The ARC grinned but took a step back and fell silent. Rex was quiet as he thought, and Jia waited patiently. Finally, he looked back up at her.

"As long as ARCie over there can also come, I'll do it," he said at last. Fives's grin widened and he stepped back up to stand beside the Captain.

"Good," Jia said, nodding. "I'll be there to pick you up in about eighteen hours." She turned to cut the connection, but Rex called to her again.

"Jia," he said. She paused and turned her head to look at him. He gave her a ghost of a smile. "It's good to see you." She smiled slightly and nodded, before ending the transmission.

* * *

Cody was in the Mess, talking with Trapper and Boil when the transmission came through. His comlink started beeping and he sighed, thinking it was the General again. He reached over and flicked it on.

"Yes, sir?" he asked.

"Sir?" the female voice sounded familiarly indignant. "Who in the hell are you calling 'sir'?"

"Jia!" Cody cried in surprise. Jia smiled.

"There that's better," she said, nodding contentedly. "So, are you busy or can I bother you for the moment?"

"Go on and bother me," Cody said, snorting in amusement.

"Well, first off, Commander Offee is alive and well," she reported to him. "Rescued her a while back. She is back with the 41st Elite. Shadow Squad has been transferred to work under Commander Gree; they weren't exactly happy about that. I had the joy of being a slave for Jabba during a job that went crooked with that bounty hunter. Oh, and I got the location of our missing Jedi."

"You did what?" Cody asked, making sure he had heard her correctly.

"I got the location," Jia said. "We were far off. She's on Coruscant."

"How'd you do this exactly?" Cody inquired. Jia looked down sheepishly and he sighed. "Never mind, don't answer that. So why are you contacting me?"

"I already have Rex ol' boy on board with us, along with Fives the ARCie. Shadow Squad is coming with us; I can't stop them from doing that, as you well know. Commander Offee is 'taking point,' as she called it," Jia said. "I need a second Commander for this to work; you should know that. Bring Waxer and Boil along; all official, of course."

"What about unofficial?" Cody asked, knowing Jia never did anything 'officially.' Jia sighed.

"You know I can't do that," she said, referring to that she couldn't answer his question. Cody half-grinned.

"Alright, I'm with you," he told her. Then his smile fell. "Waxer's dead, Jia," he informed her quietly. Jia became still and Cody heard a strange choking sound come from her. He realized she was trying not to cry. _I should've found a better way to tell her,_ he realized.

After a couple minutes, she cleared her throat and raised her head, wiping away the last of the tears with the back of her hand.

"Well, then just bring Boil," she decided after a moment.

"What about Wooley?" Boil asked. "He won't be happy to find out he's been left behind.

"Fox isn't coming either, so they can be mad together," Jia told him. Boil chuckled, despite the reminder of his dead brother, and nodded.

"So, what's going on officially?" Cody repeated his question.

"I'll pick you guys up in about twenty-six hours," she said instead. "And then I'll brief everyone together."

"Copy that," Cody said, nodding, already falling back into the pattern that Jia was in charge. Jia smiled.

"See you two soon." She nodded to Boil and then cut the connection.

Cody and Boil glanced at each other and Boil grinned.

"Here we go again, Commander," he said. Cody smiled also and nodded. "Know what we'll be doing this time?"

"Did you see how tense she was?" Cody asked the younger clone. "She's planning something big, crazier than any of her other ideas. It's the endgame."

* * *

Lylla was sitting next to Jacob on her sofa after a long day of work, watching the news. The Jedi was filling out some forms that she figured were job applications. She smiled slightly and turned her attention back to the news.

As usual, they were reporting on the wars. Lylla sighed and changed the channel. She didn't want to hear about that. It reminded her of Jax, which reminded her of Ciri. Which got her depressed.

Suddenly, her comlink went off, startling both of them. Lylla snatched it up and answered quickly.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're not stuck in a self-induced misery spiral," a chipper voice commented. Lylla's eyes widened and she smiled as Jia's form blossomed small and flickering in her hand.

"Jia!" she cried. "What do you need?"

"We're getting the team back together," Jia explained. "We've been officially un-disbanded. So, you get to come back!"

"And Jax?" Lylla asked a little breathless from excitement.

"He's here and waiting," Jia told her, grinning widely. Lylla squealed and jumped up, unconsciously handing her comlink to Jacob. He swallowed hard then forced a smile.

"Hi, Jia," he said quietly.

"Jacob!" she said happily, smiling up at him. His false smile was replaced by a real one. She was happy to see him. Happy as nothing more than a friend, but happy still. "What are you doing there?" Jacob froze at the question and felt Lylla look at him curiously.

"Yeah, I've been wondering the same thing," she said, tipping her head to the side.

"I left," he said after a moment. Jia paused for a second, then nodded.

"Good for you," she said. "You made your choice. I'm glad. No second thoughts?"

"Lots of them," Jacob laughed. "But none of them are enough to make me go back."

"Okay, I'm lost," Lylla looked back and forth between the Jedi and the assassin. "Left what?"

"The Order, Ly," Jia told her friend quietly. "Jacob isn't a Jedi anymore."

* * *

Jia stood in front of Luminara and Gree, her arms crossed over her chest, her feet planted firmly on the ground, and her face set in a stubborn scowl. Gree had assumed a similar position while Luminara stood, a perfect picture of Jedi calm and serene.

"You are planning on a doing a special operations rescue mission?" she repeated what Jia had just said. Jia nodded once and the Jedi's gaze went to the group of people standing behind the assassin. It consisted of Shadow Squad, Barriss, Cody, Rex, Boil, Fives, and Lylla.

"This is a military-grade, Steranko protected, armed guards at every _air vent_ building you're talking about breaking into," Gree said as calmly as he could. Jia just shrugged.

"You forget it is what we spent an entire year doing, Master," Barriss said softly. Luminara sighed deeply.

"I will authorize the mission," she conceded. "As long as both Gree and I are allowed to come along."

"No," Jia said sharply. "No, no, and no."

"Why is that, young assassin?" Luminara asked.

"Okay, this team I have here, we know each other. We can move with each other. When we're together, we form one big, deadly mass. Adding two more people into the mix is going to throw everything off," she explained, annoyed.

"You need us with you," Gree argued. Jia glowered at him.

"Why?" she snapped.

"Rescue missions like this isn't what we do," Gree snapped back. He meant the clones and the civilian, but Jia nodded.

"You're right," she agreed. "It isn't what _you_ do. But it is what _we-_" she gestured to the group behind her "-do."

* * *

_The rescue mission is back on. And that's why Jacob has been living with Lylla. That was his big secret that Jia figured out, of course. Next chapter is going to be... confusing. That's all I'll tell you :P. Read, review, enjoy..._


	64. Past vs Present

**Past vs. Present**

Jia slowly came back to consciousness. Her read rolled to the side and she groaned. Her body felt like it was on fire. Everywhere _hurt._ She coughed, noticing how dry and cottony her mouth was. She tried to reach her hands up to rub her eyes, but felt the familiar sensation of rope chaffing her wrists. _Great_.

Her eyes finally opened and she blinked, trying to make sense of the jumble of colors and shapes being sent to her brain. While she looked around, she heard someone clapping slowly. She turned her head to the side and focused on the figure standing next to her. As her vision cleared, she saw it was the man from the mansion. The man that had caused her mission to fail.

"Well done," the man said sarcastically.

"What happened?" Jia coughed. "I don't remember. Anything."

"Ahh, yes," the man sat down in a chair across from her and Jia got lightheaded from the sudden sense of déjà vu. "That would be a side effect of the tranquilizer we used. It was a very strong one. You don't go down easy."

"Yeah, I've been told that," Jia's throat still felt scratchy and dry, but she was glad her voice was slowly coming back. The man leaned back in his chair and regarded her.

"What do you remember, girl?" he asked after a moment.

"Nothing," Jia said with annoyance. "I just told you that." The man clicked his tongue with disapproval and shook his head.

"Your memories should be starting to return now," he said. "I want you to tell me what you remember. _Everything_ you remember." Jia just locked her jaw and glared at him, and he sighed. "You are very stubborn, girl." He took a syringe out of his pocket filled with a thin, blue liquid. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, but you are more difficult than that Jedi." He injected her with the liquid and sat back in his chair.

"It won't work," Jia growled through clenched teeth, already feeling her body start to instinctively try to rid itself of the unwelcome substance.

"Oh, it will, girl," the man said. "I know all about your tolerance to drugs and poisons. The man you killed on Alderaan worked for me. I went to Alderaan to clean up his mess and found you still alive. The amount of poison he injected you with was enough to kill you three times over. But it didn't. And here you are."

"Lucky," Jia had to suck in her breath as her vision started spinning. "Lucky me."

"No, lucky _me,_" the man countered. Jia's arm twitched in a muscle spasm and the man nodded. "Yes, you should be feeling the effects of the serum now. You will feel the need to move, to talk, to do something to release this sudden burst of energy. And yet, as you fight it, it will be become increasingly difficult to resist."

As he spoke, Jia's heartbeat increased and she started breathing heavily as if she had just run a mile in six minutes. She started sweating and clenched and unclenched her hand, trying to find an outlet to the burst of energy the man was talking about.

"Another thing this serum does is break through all the walls you have built around your most closely guarded secrets," the man added almost as an afterthought. Jia wanted to be angry at this man, but she had too much energy for even simple emotions.

"Just ask your damn questions and see if your stupid drug works," she snarled after a particularly uncomfortable muscle spasm in her left leg.

"Who are you?" the man asked. Jia smirked.

"Your prisoner," she retorted. The man let out a huff and tried again.

"What is your name?"

"J-Jiana," Jia tried to force herself to stop, but her mouth didn't listen. "Sasha. Sasha White."

"Jiana Sasha White," the man repeated. He gave Jia a friendly smile. "My name is Drake Bluebell."

"I don't care," Jia muttered, the name already slipping from her memory. Bluebell chuckled.

"Whatever you say, girl," he said. "Now, how old are you?"

"I don't know," Jia answered. It was somewhat true. She had lost track of the days, months, and years a while ago.

"Oh, I doubt that," Bluebell chastised in a gentle tone. "Let me ask again: how old are you?"

"Not as old as you," Jia said, laughing quietly. Bluebell struck her across the face and she felt her tooth slice her lip, but didn't care. His serum wasn't working as well as he wanted, and she felt somewhat smug about that.

"How old are you?" he repeated for a second time.

"I," Jia broke off, huffing and puffing as she tried to fight the serum, but it was a futile attempt. "I don't know. I lost count."

"Oh, poor girl," Bluebell said with mock sympathy. "Doesn't even know how old she is. Let's try a more useful question. Where are you from?"

"My home," Jia gasped, feeling lightheaded again.

"What is your home?" Bluebell was learning only direct question worked with her or she could find a way around the serum.

"A cabin," Jia told him, breathing heavily through her nose.

"And where is this cabin you call home?" Bluebell asked quietly, leaning forward slightly.

"In the woods," Jia ground out through clenched teeth. "Up in the mountains. In the United States of America. On the East Coast."

"And how did you end up here?" Bluebell didn't skip a beat, even though he was very confused by her answer. He could tell she was telling the truth, though, by the way her speech was halting and breathy.

"I don't know," Jia answered again. He could tell, again, that this was the truth.

"You don't know a lot," Bluebell commented, hoping to get her riled up. It didn't work; she just regarded him with intelligent blue eyes glazed over slightly from the toxin. He held back a sigh. "Who do you work for?"

"Myself," Jia snarled out her answer and Bluebell grinned slightly. He had found one of her weak points; she liked being known for who she was and what she did.

"Fair enough," he pretended to be trying to calm her down. "So, what are you then?"

"Many things," Jia retorted, despite the fact that it took a lot of effort and made her head hurt. "What are you?"

"Very funny," Bluebell told her. "Let me explain, then. You are very skilled in tracking for a civilian, very persistent for a pirate, very witty and deceitful for one from the neutral systems. You are very comfortable with killing for a Jedi. So, I can only assume you ar a bounty hunter."

"You got it all wrong, Ice Cream," Jia didn't know exactly where the nickname for her captor came from, but could feel the answer pressing at the edge of her mind. "I'm not a bounty hunter."

"Then would you please enlighten me?" Bluebell asked. Jia gave a soft groan as she tried, once again, to fight off the drug, before giving in.

"I'm an- an assa- assassin," she stuttered out at last.

"That explains a lot," Bluebell said. "Thank you, Jiana."

"_Don't_ use my name!" Jia yelled, trying to lunge at him. She got slightly up off her chair and the chair came off the ground with her, but then her bindings pulled her back and she fell back with a hard thud.

"Don't be stupid now, girl," Bluebell told her, blinking. "You can't do anything now but talk."

_Talk,_ Jia thought. _Right, talk. Keep talking until I can figure out what's going on. Until I can remember. Talk. Yeah, that's right. Rule 17: when there's nothing else to do, talk until another option comes up._ Jia blinked, wondering where the hell that had come from, than shook it off. That wasn't important.

"So, you should have enough of your memory back to start with the important questions," Bluebell commented. "Now, will you tell me, Jiana, how you found out who I was?"

"Up until about four months ago, I had no clue you even existed," Jia said, her eyes getting a distant look in them. "I liked my life better when I didn't know you." Bluebell sighed audibly through his nose, but Jia didn't notice.

"Fine, let's start at the beginning," he snapped. "You called out for people named Eagle, Red, Willow, Swirl, and T during your capture. Tell me who they are."

"Eagle and Red were my team members," Jia started. "Eagle was the leader, Red was my partner. We were the best of the best…"

* * *

"_I'm just saying I think Alabama is going to win the Championship," Red argued with Eagle. Both were sitting on the sofa in a hotel suite watching a football game on the TV._

"_What are you guys arguing about now?" Jia asked curiously, plopping down between the two boys. Red tossed her a beer before answering. She caught it and opened it, watching him patiently while taking a sip._

"_Eagle over there is convinced LSU is going to win this year, but I'm telling him it's Alabama," Red explained, his eyes glued to the TV. One of the teams made a touchdown and both boys let out cheers. Jia rolled her eyes._

"_Well, I disagree with both of you," she said. "I'm Florida all the way. Go Gators!"_

"_Aww, hell no," Red said. "She did not just do that."_

"_Do you have short-term memory loss, Nappy?" Jia asked, using her nickname for Red. His hand went consciously up to his hair before he narrowed his dark eyes at her._

"_My hair ain't no 'nappy!'" he snapped. "And I have photographic memory. Just like you, babygirl."_

"_Eagle," Jia whined, turning to the team leader. "Red's annoying me."_

"_You're both nearly grown up," Eagle sighed tiredly. "Act your age."_

"_You act your age," Jia retorted, getting up. "Well, I'm going to start checking our gear."_

"_You riggin' the 'chutes?" Red asked, looking up at her._

"_I'm rigging mine," Jia answered. "You can do your own."_

"_Little girl, I swear someday…," Red's threat trailed off into a growl and Jia just stuck her tongue out at him, trying not to smile. Before Red could retaliate, she turned and entered her room of the suite._

_She was joined two hours later by the two boys; apparently the game had finished. They spread their gear out next to hers, rigging their parachutes and readying their repelling harnesses and cables._

"_I call the Taser," Jia said, lunging for the weapon at the same time Red did._

"_You got the Taser last time," her nineteen-year-old partner complained like a little kid._

"_No, Eagle did," Jia argued. Eagle smacked them both on the back of the head._

"_I've already told you to act your age," he growled. "Please, be good little children and follow orders."_

"_Shut up," Jia and Red snapped at the same time._

"_Red, you're a real bad influence on little 'Angel," Eagle sighed._

"_It's not my fault if some of my habits are rubbing off on her," the dark-skinned boy defended himself against his leader. While he was distracted, Jia yanked the Taser out of his hands and shoved it in her backpack. Red whipped around to glare at her. "Archangel, give me the Taser."_

"_It's in my 'pack," Jia said smugly. "You know the rules, Red." Her partner made to leap at her, but Eagle held him back._

"_Both of you," he snapped. "Shut up!" Both of them fell silent and bowed their heads sheepishly. As soon as Eagle's back was turned, though, Red launched a walkie-talkie at Jia, which she dodged neatly and retaliated by aiming her hairbrush at his head. They shared a smile, trying not to laugh, and then went back to prepping their gear._

_####_

"_Archangel to Eagle," Jia murmured from her place on the roof of a Chase Bank building. "I have sight on the target. Over."_

"_I copy you, Archangel," Eagle buzzed in over the earbud. "What do you see? Over."_

"_Six guards, armed with three automatic weapons each, two knives, a Taser, batons, and," Jia paused and squinted into the binoculars. "It looks like one of them is at a computer screen with a… Glendale security system monitor on it. Over."_

"_Glendale?" Red cut in. "Aww hell. We can't beat those things without another two days planning, max."_

"_You forgot to say over," Jia pointed out quietly. "Over."_

"_How 'bout you shut your blonde ass up?" Red retorted. "_Over._" Jia snorted with laughter, making her way across the city rooftops. She landed on top of the targeted building in a crouch._

"_I'm in position," she reported. "Ready to go on your mark, Eagle. Over."_

"_Hold up, hold up!" Red hissed. "I just told y'all we can't do this without more planning."_

"_We don't have the time, Nappy," Jia didn't let Eagle answer. "And you forgot to say over again. Over."_

"_Archangel, I swear, as soon as we get back to that hotel, I'm drowning you in the pool," Red growled. "Over."_

"_I'd prefer the hot tub," Jia purred in a sultry voice. "Over."_

"_You two can continue your sex talk later," Eagle sighed. "I'm starting the count. Over."_

"_Copy," Jia and Red said at the same time. _

"_And you go _on_ my mark this time, Archangel," Eagle added. "_Not_ before. Over." Jia sighed but gave a noise of consent._

"_Good," Eagle said. "Starting count now. Five, four, three, two, one..."_

* * *

"So you all got the merchandise, then?" Bluebell cut into Jia's story. She nodded.

"We beat the Glendale security system," she told him. "On the fly. We weren't expecting it. It had never been done before. I told you: we were the best of the best."

"That does not answer who Willow, Swirl, and T are, though," Bluebell pointed out.

"Patience, Ice Cream," Jia snapped. "I'm getting there." Bluebell tamped down his annoyance. He was quickly learning that if he wanted any answers from this girl, he had to let her tell him her own way.

"Well, please, hurry up," Bluebell said in a smooth voice after a moment. "I am very curious."

"Willow was the leader of another team," Jia started another explanation. "Swirl and T were her older siblings, twins, and the members of her team. They were like the special ops of us. They were the ones who had the most secrets and the most blood on their hands. They were the worst of us…"

* * *

_Jia looked over at Red, who was sitting on the sofa, from where she was frying turkey bacon._

"_Wait, so who is Willow?" she asked him. Red glanced up at her and sighed._

"_I told you last night," he said._

"_Yeah, but I was half-asleep," Jia reminded him. "You know you can't tell me anything when I'm half-asleep and expect me to remember it." Red sighed again and looked around their condo._

"_Eagle don't want you to know, babygirl," he said. "Sorry."_

"_Eagle's not here, dumbass," Jia snapped. "Now, who the hell is Willow?"_

"_Another team leader," Red gave in. "Been working under Wolffe since she was thirteen. Two older siblings, call sign T and Swirl. They're twins."_

"_T and Swirl?" Jia interrupted. Red shot her an annoyed look and ignored her question._

"_They work directly for Wolffe. Sorta like his right-hand men. Willow be fine lookin', and her sister ain't so bad either."_

"_What about T?" Jia asked curiously. _

"_I ain't checkin' to see if you would think a guy's lookin' fine," he retorted, giving her his 'really?' look. She laughed quietly and flipped the bacon, waiting for Red to continue._

"_They mama's ex-Mossad," Red started again after a moment. "Gave her kids to Wolffe as soon as she could. And, if the rumors are correct, they have another sibling, 'bout ten or eleven. Gonna be sent off to Wolffe soon, too."_

"_Poor little kid," Jia murmured. "My parents would've never done that."_

"_Yeah, well, we don't all got loving parents," Red snapped. Jia shut off the stove and moved over to her partner._

"_I know you miss Izzy," she said quietly. "But please don't take it out on me. Not in that way. You know how sensitive the subject of my family is to me." Red let out a long breath and looked up at Jia._

"_Sorry, babygirl," he told her after a moment, grinning mischievously and looking her up and down. Jia cocked a hip and glared at him._

"_What have I told you about the names?" she snapped, waving the tongs she had used for flipping the bacon. Not waiting for a response, she turned and stalked back to the stove. She loaded the bacon onto a plate and returned to Red, setting it down on the coffee table and sitting down in his lap._

"_That's right, girl," Red said, shifting his hips slightly. Jia smacked him and reached for a piece of bacon._

"_I know you replaced the cushions with ones that had nails sticking out of them," she told him. "Which is why I am condemned with sitting on your lap."_

"_How'd you know?" Red asked, shocked. No one had ever caught him at his pranks; not even Eagle. Jia grinned at him and tapped the side of her head. _

"_Magic."_

* * *

Bluebell's mind was reeling with new questions just from the few names and references he had gotten from Jia's little story, and he had to take a moment to sort out his thoughts.

"So, who's Wolffe?" he asked after a moment. Jia's mouth twisted up into an ugly smile; it seemed she had given up on fighting the truth serum.

"The man I hate more than anybody else in the universe."

* * *

_Jia walked into a tall apartment/office building. There was no one in the lobby. Sighing, she turned and started to leave. She pushed on the doors, but found them locked. She felt her heartbeat increase and she looked around, searching for something she could use to break the windows. _

"_So, you must be Sasha?" a deep, baritone voice asked. Jia started slightly then turned to where the sound had come from._

"_Yes, sir," she answered, nodding once. A dark-skinned, dark-eyed, tall, buff man stepped out from one of the hallways and walked towards Jia._

"_You're younger than most that apply," he said, walking in slow circles around her as he studied her. _

"_I think I can handle it," Jia muttered. The man stopped walking and looked at her, something like grim amusement in his eyes._

"_Don't be so sure, little girl," the man said in a low, threatening voice._

"_I came here because you said I needed to be tested and trained," Jia snapped. "Not so you could try and mess with my head." The man chuckled._

"_You have an attitude. We can use that," the man commented. He held his hand out to Jia. "My name is Blake Wolffe. I'm your new trainer and handler."_

"_I would introduce myself, but you already know my name," she said, shaking his hand. Wolffe smiled slightly._

"_You are very sharp," he said, almost to himself. "Most people would have responded out of habit. You broke the habit."_

"_I do try," Jia retorted. Wolffe chuckled again and placed his hand on Jia's shoulder._

"_Come with me." He led her down hallways and up stairwells until they got to a dark room with no windows and only a single light hanging from the ceiling. There was a table and two chairs in the center of the room._

_She paused, rethinking her choice of applying, but Wolffe tightened his grip and continued walking, so she stumbled and kept going. Wolffe pulled her into the room and shoved her down into one of the chairs._

"_Let me get a few things straight, girl," he hissed. "There are some rules you need to follow while you're with us. The most important one being confidentiality. If you tell, and we find out, and trust me, we will find out, you will be punished."_

_Jia raised an eyebrow and regarded the dark-skinned man sitting across from her._

"_Oh, really?" she asked. "And what would you do? Put me in time-out?"_

"_Kill all those you love," Wolffe retorted in a dangerously friendly voice. "Starting with your little brother."_

* * *

Jia watched Bluebell as he started working out the timeline of her past. Her memories were returning faster than she knew he expected from the way his questions were remaining on people of the past. He hadn't yet asked about the present.

She was starting to remember saving Rex, meeting Kix, being interrogated by Obi-wan and Anakin; everything. And it was relieving. She had been worried her memory had been permanently damaged.

Bluebell turned back to look at her and she raised her eyebrows, waiting for his next question.

"I still can't figure out what you're doing here," he said after a moment. Jia laughed quietly. Now that she was remembering, she felt in control of the situation. She could play his game and her own at the same time.

"Well, Ice Cream, there are only a few things that can cause people to do extremely stupid things," she told him. Bluebell chuckled.

"Go on and enlighten me," he said. Jia nodded slowly and bit her lip. Finally she looked at him.

"Ever heard of revenge?"

Bluebell tipped his head to the side, confused and Jia sighed, launching into another story.

* * *

_Jia convulsed in shivers and pressed herself back against Red. The two of them were stranded out in the woods. They had built a make-shift shelter and had a sleeping bag on hand, but that was the extent of it. No food, no water, no way to contact anyone for help. Snow and wind whipped and howled around them, causing Jia to feel even colder._

_Red's arms came around her and she rolled over so her face was pressed against his chest. For once he wasn't making inappropriate jokes and comments about sleeping together or her holding onto him. He just pulled her closer to him and buried his face in her silky hair._

"_I don't understand the necessity of this," Jia said, her teeth chattering._

"_Wolffe decided he needed to further test us," Red told her with a sigh._

"_Then where's Eagle?" Jia asked._

"_He had something to do," Red muttered angrily. Anger boiled in Jia, momentarily driving away the cold. She was freezing to death, literally, with Red, stranded in the middle of the woods with no way to call for help. And Eagle 'had something to do?' She didn't think so._

"_I'm going to kill him," she snarled as best she could with frozen lips._

"_You and me both, babygirl," Red said, hugging her even tighter, if that was possible. If they survived the night, Eagle was a dead man._

_####_

_Eagle stumbled drunkenly back up to their floor. He pressed his hand against the scanner, waiting for it to take his prints and pulse. When nothing happened, he banged on the door. No answer. What was going on? Wolffe had called a Code Yellow, which meant they all had to be in their respective homes within five minutes or they would be caught and most likely killed. _

_Starting to panic, Eagle banged harder on the door and started shouting. After a couple minutes, Willow appeared._

"_What are you doing?" she asked quietly._

"_I need to get in there," Eagle slurred. Willow eyed him suspiciously, but came over to assist. She pressed her hand against the scanner, standing patiently as it took her prints and pulse. After a couple seconds the door slid open, revealing Jia and Red sitting together on the couch, watching G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. _

_In synchrony, they glanced up at Eagle briefly before turning their attention back to the movie. Eagle turned to thank Willow, but she was already gone. He stumbled into the condo, noticing, even in his drunken stupor, how both Red and Jia were ignoring him._

"_Why didn't you let me in?" he growled after a moment. _

"_You didn't need to be in," Jia murmured absently._

"_Wolffe called a Code Yellow. You almost had me killed!" Eagle yelled._

"_Wolffe didn't do nut'in'," Red snapped, keeping his eyes glued to the screen. Eagle was confused._

"_Huh?" he asked. Red and Jia exchanged a smirk, and then Jia changed the screen. It was the feed from the camera in their hallway. She rewound the footage, showing Eagle banging on the door, stumbling around, and shouting._

"_And now the rest of us get to see," she said, grabbing a keyboard and hacking into the feed of every other TV in the building. Another few commands and she sent to footage to the other screens._

"_You bitch!" Eagle roared. "Why would you do that to me?" _

_Jia stared at him levelly._

"_You left us out there in the woods to die," she said. "Now you have to live with the knowledge that your perfect reputation of being the sweet, good boy has been ruined. I was simply getting my revenge."_

* * *

Jia saw understanding dawn on Bluebell's face as she ended her story.

"You are here to get revenge on me," he said. Jia nodded.

"Now you're starting to get it," she told him. Bluebell started laughing.

"Well, you didn't do a very good job," he commented.

"Oh, I haven't gotten my revenge yet," Jia said casually. She was finally remembering the mission, her friend. "I'm not here to have a nice long chat with you."

"Then what are you doing here?" Bluebell snapped. Jia laughed.

"Well, if you must know," her playful expression disappeared, replaced by one that downright terrified her captor even though he knew she couldn't do anything to him. "Mr. Drake Bluebell, I'm here to kill you."

* * *

_So, what do you think happened to Jia? And where's the rest of the team?_


	65. More Of The Story

_This is a very short chapter, but I needed it done and out of the way. Tell me what you think._

**More Of The Story**

Bluebell took many minutes to study Jia. To see if she was lying, to see if she was bluffing. To see if she meant what she said. Then he realized something.

"You can't do it yourself," he murmured thoughtfully. "Where's your team?" Jia blinked at him innocently and he knew the truth serum had already worn off. Prepared for that, he pulled out another vial of it and injected Jia. He waited while it took effect and then repeated his question.

"Especially that beautiful Mirilian I captured. She was magnificent," he tacked onto the end. Jia snarled wordlessly at him, but answered his question.

"My team is in places of my convenience," she ground out. Bluebell raised an eyebrow.

"And where are these places of convenience?" he asked. Jia smirked.

"Around," she gestured with her hands as best she could.

"Where is your team stationed around that is to your convenience?" Bluebell sighed. He wasn't sure how much more directly he could ask the question.

"Hiding spots," Jia said smugly. Bluebell sighed again and gave up.

"Fine. Who's in your team?"

"Many people."

"Is the Mirilian with you again?"

"Yes," the word was strained as Jia fought the serum; and lost.

"And her lover? The tall man with the black hair? He is with you, too?"

"Yes."

"And the blonde man with you at the mansion?"

"Yes."

Bluebell smiled and sat back in his chair, victorious. He knew who was part of her team. He knew their moves. He knew how to beat them.

"Oh, I forgot someone," he said suddenly, standing up. Jia's lips twitched as she fought the urge to ask who. Bluebell walked behind his chair and kicked a form lying prone on the floor. It rolled over and Jia let out a strangled gasp as she saw the face. It was Lylla.

Bluebell grinned at her; a truly evil, terrifying grin.

"Your friend will soon learn what a mistake she made following you into here. Now, why don't you start from the beginning?"

* * *

_Jia sat down at a circular table in the Mess, and her team sat down around her. She tuned out the other clones that were watching curiously. This felt natural; right and good. She was in charge again. They were hunting the bad guys again. She was getting ready to kill again._

"_So, I briefly told Cody, but I have the location of Ahsoka," Jia began, sliding 'pads across the table to everyone. They were all hooked up to her phone, so everything she pulled up would be displayed on their screens. "She is on Coruscant being held hostage by a man named Drake Bluebell." Her lips twisted up in an angry smile. "Sound familiar?"_

"_The man from the mansion?" Lylla asked. Jia nodded._

* * *

"So you recognized my name from your attempted heist at my mansion," Bluebell interrupted. "I'm flattered." Jia shot him an annoyed glare.

"Shut up," she snapped. "I'm trying to answer your stupid questions. At least be polite and listen." Bluebell chuckled but held up his hands in mock surrender. Jia nodded once.

"Alright, where was I?"

* * *

"_So we need to figure out how to get in," she said._

"_Let's just storm it," Rex suggested. Jia raised an eyebrow, shooting him her '_really?'_ look._

"_There's only us," she pointed out. "We can't storm it. We'd be beaten. Again." Rex conceded her point with a sigh and a nod._

"_So, ideas?" Lylla looked around for any offers. Heads shook and people sighed. They were quiet as they worked through the plans. This was taking longer than it should have. _

_It was the first sign something would go wrong._

* * *

Bluebell looked at Jia, his eyebrows raised. Jia met his gaze levelly.

"You tell quite a story," he commented at last. "Very dramatic."

"And very true," Jia retorted. "Now keep asking questions before the serum wears off. I'm getting tired of you stabbing me with needles." Bluebell chuckled again.

"For a prisoner, you are very bossy," he told her. Jia just made a face at him and he laughed.

"Alright, fine," he gave in. "Who is Lylla?"

* * *

_Jia jogged down the hallway to catch up to her friend._

"_Hey, Ly," she said, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. Lylla sniffled and turned to look at Jia, attempting to smile._

"_Hi, Jia," she said. Jia looked at her, concerned._

"_Are you okay?" she asked._

"_Just missing Ciri," Lylla told her. Jia nodded in greeting to Gree, who seemed to be frozen with shock, thought she didn't know why; before turning back to Lylla._

"_I know it hurts," she said quietly. "It truly does." Lylla looked at Jia with pain-filled eyes._

"_How can you know?" she whispered. Jia blinked and licked her lips. She couldn't start crying right here; she had to be strong for Lylla._

"_My little brother," she answered quietly. "I loved him more than anything. He was my reason for living, even before I was an assassin. Believe me, I loved my parents and my other siblings, but my little brother… he was the one thing I felt like I could call mine. _My _little brother. Mine."_

* * *

"That's very touching," Bluebell mocked Jia. "So this Lylla girl is a mother? And a friend of yours. She must be very stupid to follow you into this."

Jia gave him a look that he couldn't describe, but it brought a chuckle out of him. It was a look of mutiny and hate and insubordination and attitude all mixed together. It was the most amusing facial expression he had ever seen.

"At least she's not as stupid as you," Jia retorted after a moment. "She knows not to kidnap my friends. And kill them."

"You think I have kidnapped and killed a friend of yours?" Bluebell asked. "Please explain." Jia complied, launching into another story.

* * *

"_Jia, I have something," Cody called to the assassin. Jia, Barriss, Lylla, and Rex all made their way over to the Commander._

"_Talk fast, Cody," Jia said, leaning over his shoulder to look at the computer screen he was sitting in front of. Cody just looked at her, but didn't do anything._

"_I found a certificate of death pertinent to our search," he explained._

"_Who died?" Lylla asked curiously. Cody took a deep breath, his expression grim._

"_A teenaged Togrutan female," he said in as steady a voice he could. Rex swayed and Barriss caught him before he hit the ground._

"_What?" Jia snarled, fury boiling in her stomach. Cody turned around so he was staring directly into Jia's eyes._

"_I'm sorry, Jia, Rex," he said quietly. "Jedi Commander Padawan Ahsoka Tano is dead."_

* * *

_Anyone notice a distinct lack of the rest of the team? And what do you think will happen next? Ahsoka's dead; their mission was for nothing. Does this plot sound familiar? It sounds familiar to me. Virtual cookies for anyone who can name the movie it comes from! :) And Iron Man 3 came out today! So excited; can't wait to see it!_


	66. Twenty Seconds To Live

**Twenty Seconds To Live**

"You think I killed your Jedi friend Ahsoka Tano?" Bluebell asked, tipping his head to the side. Jia just blinked at him and he let out a humorless laugh. "For a girl so smart, you have your story so wrong." Again, Jia just blinked at him, watching through narrowed eyes as he got up and disappeared out of the room.

"Ly?" she asked quietly, coughing once. "Ly, you good?"

"Just waiting," came her friend's shaky reply. "You're doing good so far. Do you really think your friend's coming to help us?"

"He owes me," Jia answered abruptly. Lylla opened one eye and peered at Jia, amused.

"Yeah, but does that mean he'll come?"

"Well…"

* * *

"_What the hell, Blondie? I don't want any part in your crazy rescue mission. I kill Jedi, not rescue them!"_

"_Come on, Baldy, please," Jia pleaded quietly, softly. Boba sighed and looked at her. For whatever reason, she looked slightly softer than when he had seen her about a month ago. Not fat just… soft._

_As he studied her, he remembered their time together on his past job. All the times she had gone along with him, despite her dislike of his plans. The way she would sit cross-legged on the floor in front of him, putting herself in the place of submission. And her warm body lying next to his, pressed against him as she slept. The way she had held herself against him when he had woken her from her nightmare. The way she had curled against him, seeking his warmth and heartbeat. He remembered her want for the friendship he couldn't give her._

"_Besides, she's already dead. We're just retrieving her body," Jia continued after a moment, snapping him out of his thoughts. "And killing the man who killed her."_

_Boba offered her a rare grin._

"_Of course," he said. Jia smiled at him; something she, too, rarely did._

"_So, you'll do it?" she asked excitedly. Boba sighed._

"_I'm not participating," he warned her. "I'll pick you guys up from the planet surface, but I'm not helping you."_

"_Yes you are," Jia pointed out._

"_You know what I mean," the bounty hunter snapped. Jia just stuck her tongue out at him and ended the transmission._

* * *

Lylla let out a quiet, tired laugh.

"Only you, Jia," she whispered in a dry, raspy voice. Jia smiled, but didn't get a chance to further respond. Bluebell returned, banging the door open as he entered.

He was dragging a figure, clothed in baggy, dark clothes, wearing a black hood. Whoever it was stumbled slightly and Jia caught sight of shackles from beneath the hem of the pants, along with binders on the wrists of the person.

"Questions are being asked around this part of the city," Bluebell said with a sigh, "about two young women who have gone missing. They match the description of you and your mother friend."

He shoved the person down into the chair across from Jia.

"One of you will tell me everything you know about the Republic, the other one will die," he continued. "I'll leave you two to decide." He yanked off the hood and Jia found herself staring into a familiar pair of electrifying blue eyes, surrounded by russet-colored skin.

The face was decorated by white markings and outlined by an akul-tooth headdress. Jia blinked and tipped her head to the side, studying the person across from her.

"Well, 'Soka," she said. "How has this past year been for you?"

* * *

Ahsoka was shocked at the sight of Jia and the young woman lying seemingly unconscious on the floor behind the chair she was sitting in. Jia. Here. After more than a year. Sitting in front of her. Bound, but still looking as strong and steady as the Padawan had ever seen the assassin.

"Jia," she choked out at last, and swallowed hard, trying to speak again. "Jia, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I was going to try to kill that man there, but it didn't quite go as planned," Jia tried to joke, looking at Ahsoka sheepishly. Ahsoka didn't smile.

"Is your friend okay?" she asked quietly after a moment.

"I'm fine," the woman spoke in a soft voice. The voice was familiar.

* * *

_They all started when Jia's comlink gave off a shrill whistle._

_Ahsoka was the first to react. She grabbed the comlink and turned it on._

"_Jia, thank goodness," an unfamiliar, female voice said._

"_Who is this?" Jacob asked._

"_Lylla!" Maddison exclaimed at the same time her cousin spoke._

* * *

"You're Lylla," she made the connection.

"That's right," Lylla confirmed. Ahsoka looked at Jia again.

"Jia, what are you doing here?" she repeated in a firmer voice. Jia winced, fighting the truth serum.

"Talking," she said at last. Ahsoka shook her head slightly.

"Jia, they have hundreds of men, armed and trained to kill. Anti-air, anti-tank defense and offense weapons," she told the assassin. "What do you have?"

"A bunch of blood-thirsty clones, one pissed off Jedi, one angry civilian, and a bounty hunter that's not too happy with me," Jia reported, as if talking to a command officer. "Oh, and me."

"How do you plan to get out, though?" hints of annoyance colored Ahsoka's voice, and Jia smiled. This was the Ahsoka she knew. She raised an eyebrow mischievously.

"Magic." Ahsoka let out an annoyed sigh.

"Jia, truly and honestly, what are you doing here?" she asked for the third time. This time, Jia didn't resist the drug, thinking through her answer.

* * *

_Jia found Rex sitting in some empty barracks, his gun, charged and loaded, in his hand._

"_Rex, what are you doing?" she asked quietly, slowly approaching him. Rex looked up at her, tear-stains on his tan cheeks, his amber eyes black with anger and grief._

"_I've been trying to pull this trigger all night," he whispered. "But I can't. It would have broken her heart if I abandoned my men."_

"_So don't," Jia said softly, taking another cautious step towards the Captain._

"_I have to be with her," Rex told Jia in a broken voice. "I can't go on without her. She was my reason to live."_

_Jia blinked back tears and continued her approach until she was standing five feet away from Rex._

"_She would want you to be strong and continue," Jia tried to placate him until she could figure out how to help the shattered Captain._

"_I can't be strong. Not without her," Rex yelled, glaring at Jia. "Can't you understand that? Can't you understand that without her being one step in front of me, always watching out for me; without knowing she will be there for me when we return from battle, I can't live?" _

_Jia started slightly, but forced herself not to retreat. Rex raised the gun to his head for what she knew was the multiple time that night. She could see the red circle on the side of his temple where he had held the gun so many times earlier._

"_Rex, please, listen to me," Jia spoke quickly and urgently. "We can't do this without you. Torrent Squadron needs you. Anakin needs you. Cody needs you. _We_ need you."_

"_And I need her," Rex whispered in a ragged voice._

"_Rex, no!" Jia screeched, leaping at him as his finger hit the trigger._

* * *

Jia shook away her thoughts, realizing she still hadn't answered Ahsoka.

"Some people couldn't live without you," she quietly said at last. Ahsoka swallowed, but didn't answer right away.

"You tell Bluebell what he wants to know and you and Lylla get away, save yourselves. I am ready to die," Ahsoka instructed Jia at last. Jia snorted.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked sarcastically. "Some sort of penance?"

"It is justified," Ahsoka defended quietly. "Now you tell that man everything and you get out."

"Sorry, it doesn't work that way," Jia retorted.

"_What _doesn't work that way?" Ahsoka asked, annoyed at the cryptic responses and answers she was getting. Lylla laughed softly.

"The plan," she answered for Jia.

"_What plan_?" Ahsoka snapped, glaring at no one in particular. Jia laughed also.

"You didn't think we would come here without a plan, did you?" she answered Ahsoka's question with a question.

"Well, when does this plan get put into action?" Ahsoka asked tiredly, suddenly drained of energy. Jia raised an eyebrow.

"Days, weeks; how long do you think I've been talking? It works a little like this..."

* * *

"_Baldy, keep your speeder circling the area until you get the all clear," Jia instructed._

"_People will notice if I keep passing around," Boba pointed out. Jia let out an annoyed hiss._

"_Fine, just wait nearby," she snapped. "Happy?" Boba let out a deep breath and held his emotions in check. Jia nodded sharply and turned to Cody and Barriss._

"_Cody, you're the sniper," she said. "You can snipe, right?" Cody just gave Jia the '_what do you think?'_ look, and she smiled slightly._

"_Barriss, you wait until the signal is given and come in with the weapons," Jia told the Jedi. "Use your magical Jedi skills and hide yourself on the outside of the room we'll be in. We should be in a room with a window, but if not, hide by the door."_

"_Right," Barriss said with a nod._

"_How will we know when to go?" Boba asked. Jia fingered the tiny sapphire jewel strung around her neck. She was using a variation of Swirl's plan from all those years ago when the woman had rescued her from the Mossad prison camp._

"_I have a camera in here," she explained. "Baldy gets to be watching the feed. He'll relay the signal when I give it."_

"_What will the signal be?" Cody questioned._

"_When you see Lylla move, go," Jia said after a moment's thought. Her answer was met with nods of understanding as they all grabbed the earbuds Jia was passing around and tucked them into their ears. "Boil and Fives, you get the fun of planting explosives around the mansion. When we leave, I never want to see that thing again."_

"_Sure thing," Boil said, sharing a grin with Fives. There were very few things clones loved more than exploding something._

"_I'm going to regret this," Boba said with a sigh as he took an earbud. Jia grinned at him._

"_We all are."_

* * *

"But, that involves getting rescued," Ahsoka interrupted. "You have them planning to rescue us?" Jia nodded and Ahsoka still looked confused. "But that doesn't explain you and Lylla. What are you two doing here?"

Jia bit her lip and continued her story, answering the Padawan's question.

* * *

"_Thanks for talking me into this," Lylla yelled over the sound of wind as they flew to the location of Bluebell's building._

"_Oh, come on, it'll be fun," Jia tried to be optimistic._

"_Yeah, okay," Lylla snorted, not believing her for a moment. Jia just smiled and landed the speeder. As the two girls got out, they were met by a mob of men with guns._

"_Whoa, whoa, we come in peace," Jia tried to calm them down, raising her hands in surrender. "Nothing to be alarmed off."_

"_I don't think they're listening," Lylla called to her as the men charged up the weapons. Jia nodded distantly, than leaped at the nearest man, Lylla doing the same. _

_The young mother went down fast, not nearly as skilled in martial arts as Jia, but the assassin kept on, plowing right through the group of men until someone sniped her with a tranquilizer dart. Her world turned sideways, but she continued to fight anyways, until she was hit with a second dart. _

_She collapsed onto the ground, watching through blurry vision as the men gathered up her and Lylla, threw them unceremoniously into the back of a speeder and drove off with them. She finally lost consciousness in the dark of the trunk she and Lylla had been shoved into, on her way to Bluebell's headquarters on Coruscant, a prisoner._

* * *

Ahsoka shook her slightly, still confused.

"Wait, so you got captured on purpose?" she asked. Jia nodded again.

"Not the most brilliant plan I've ever had, but it worked," she admitted with a slight shrug. Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

"Jia, I don't think you understand this," Ahsoka sighed. Jia tipped her head to the side.

"Understand what?"

"These men are killers," Ahsoka murmured, her eyes glazing over. "They will kill you and Lylla." Jia was silent for the longest time, studying Ahsoka carefully.

"'Soka," she said at last, "can you fight?" It was similar to the question Swirl had asked her during her own rescue.

"They have me in binders and shackles _and_ a Force suppression collar," Ahsoka told Jia. "What do you think?"

"I think we've found our way out," Jia answered in a soft voice as Bluebell stalked back into the room.

He pulled out a gun and shoved it against Ahsoka's sensitive montral. She yelped in pain and Jia felt a familiar anger start building up inside her.

"Time's up," he snarled, charging up the gun. "Who dies?"

"Wait, wait!" Jia yelled. "Wait. I have something else I haven't told you. Something about me. Something that will change your entire plan."

"What?" Bluebell asked irritably. Jia tipped her head to the side.

"Ever heard of Shadow Squad?"

* * *

"_Jax, you and your squad will be working undercover as some of Bluebell's men," Jia continued giving out the positions of her team. "You hijack the armor and gear of the actual guards. Simple and easy."_

"_What group of them?" Viz asked as Jax nodded._

"_Bluebell's inner circle," Jia said. "The ones he trusts the most."_

"_That won't be easy," Jax warned Jia. Jia gave him a feral grin._

"_Is anything ever easy?" she retorted. Jax's lip curled up in a half-smile as he nodded._

"_We're on it."_

* * *

"That's impossible," Bluebell scoffed. Jia looked at him curiously.

"Is it?" she asked in a dangerously soft voice. When Bluebell didn't answer, she smiled to herself. "You have twenty seconds to live, Mr. Drake Bluebell." Ahsoka looked at her shocked, but Jia ignored the Jedi for the moment.

"That's impossible," Bluebell argued, not noticing the way Lylla was shifting slightly behind him. Not noticing the way the sapphire necklace around Jia's neck had a strange red glow around it that was very, very faint. Not noticing the dark-clad figure standing in the doorway to the room. "You're still bound; you're lying."

"I can't lie, remember? Did I ever say I would be the one to kill you?" Jia asked innocently. "I just said I wanted revenge. Remember when I said my friends were around?"

Bluebell had time to register the fear before the crack of a gun sounded and he toppled over dead, his gun clattering to the ground. Lylla jumped up and immediately started working on untying Jia's bindings, listening to the gunfight that had started throughout the mansion.

"Thank you," the assassin girl breathed, getting out of her chair and kneeling down in front of Ahsoka. Barriss came in, handing out the weapons she had obtained; including Ahsoka's lightsabers. The Healer used the laser swords to cut through the shackles, bindings, and collar before handing them to her fellow Padawan.

"Barriss?" Ahsoka asked, reaching a hand out to touch her friend's cheek, tears in her eyes.

"I'm here, Ahsoka," Barriss answered, grabbing the Togrutan's hand, tears also making her eyes gleam. "We're getting you out of here."

She moved to one side of Ahsoka and Lylla moved to the other side, supporting the now-free Jedi between them. Jia trailed behind, covering their back while Lylla got to do target practice for their front.

Along the way they were joined by the members of Shadow Squad, each loaded down with datapads full of information, no doubt about the Separatists. When they reached the entrance, they saw Boba waiting for them in a rather large speeder.

Jia paused in the doorway, looking back into the dark hallways of the building.

"Jia, come on," Jax yelled at her as he assisted Barriss and Lylla getting Ahsoka into the speeder. Jia yanked off her necklace, smiling grimly, before jumping into the speeder just before the bounty hunter took off. The mysterious explosion of a rather mysterious mansion would be making the seven' o' clock news tonight.

Looking at Ahsoka, her wounds being tended to by Barriss, and at Lylla, sitting tucked protectively under Jax's arm, Jia felt her energy drain suddenly. For the year and a couple months she had been pushing herself non-stop, determined to find her missing friend. Now that she was found, the assassin felt like she was coming off a year-long adrenaline rush; and it was taking the rest of her energy with it.

"It's over," she heard Barriss murmur to a stricken Ahsoka before she sank blissfully into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Because I am such a nice person, I decided not to let you all live too long in agony over Ahsoka's death. She is alive, no worries, but poor Rex. I have the last chapter already written, and I might upload it later. It just ties off all the loose ends. Actually, I'm uploading it right after this. I'm actually kind of proud of it. Definitely my new favorite chapter. The next chapter, not this one, though I'm proud of this one, too. Anyways, let my know what you think! _


	67. When The End Comes

**When The End Comes**

Jia snapped awake, sitting up and gasping for breath. Where was she? What had happened? Why was she so tired? Had she been drugged?

"Easy, Jia, easy," a warm, familiar voice sounded and Jia turned to see Kix approaching her.

"What happened now?" she asked groggily. Kix smiled at her.

"You did it, ad'ika," he told her quietly. "You rescued Ahsoka."

Jia didn't ask about the use of the word that she assumed was a nickname; she was too tired to worry about it.

"I did?" she asked skeptically. Kix nodded, pride shining in his eyes.

"General Luminara picked you and your team up from the surface of Coruscant after you all were dropped off by some Mandalorian warrior," Kix explained. "She then rendezvoused with General Skywalker and dropped off you and your team; including her Padawan."

"Barriss? Here?" Jia needed to see her friend _right now._ "And Cody? And Lylla and Jax?"

"Everyone," Kix said, chuckling. "But you need to sleep before you can see anybody." He gently pushed her back down onto the bio-bed and started to move away.

"Kix, wait," Jia called to him softly. He paused and looked back at her and she patted the bed next to her. "Lie with me." Kix raised his eyebrows, hoping she was too out of it to see the heat creeping up the back of his neck.

"What?" he asked. Jia shot him an annoyed glare.

"Come lie with me," she repeated. "I need the warmth. Plus it helps keep the nightmares away."

Kix just shook his head slightly and complied, after quickly comming Coric and asking his fellow medic to take over his shift. He stretched out next to her, and she rested her head in the crook of his arm.

"Kix?" she asked him quietly.

"Yes, Jia?" he answered, looking down at her. Jia smiled tiredly.

"I missed you. Next time, you get to be part of the team."

* * *

Barriss found Cody after his debrief. He looked more exhausted than she could ever remember seeing him, his face tired and drawn.

"Commander," she called to him, waving him over, and then beckoning him into her quarters. To anyone on the outside it would look like a normal meeting between two COs, but it was much more for them.

"Barriss," Cody whispered, gathering her in his arms as soon as the door was closed and locked. The Mirilian pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss, to which he responded eagerly.

"That was just proof to you that we're all alive and fine," she told him quietly. Cody laughed quietly, pulling her closer into him. They remained that way for many minutes, and then Barriss shifted uncomfortably. "Armor hurts," she complained.

Cody smiled and quickly began removing the plastoid plates that covered his body. Within moments, his armor was in a nice stack on the floor. Barriss blushed and looked down, and Cody pulled her back to him.

They stretched out on her bunk and she immediately fell asleep, worn out from all the healing she had been doing. Cody soon followed suit, falling into a deep slumber. For once, neither of them worried about being caught together, or what would happen if anyone found out. They lied together, slept next to each other, glad that the other was alive, savoring the little time they had together.

* * *

Lylla accompanied Shadow Squad to the Mess for some post-rescue mission food. She was mentally and physically exhausted, and knew she had bruises forming on her pale skin from the attack of the mob of men. Jax had already made it clear he was not happy with Jia about that, but Lylla didn't mind. They didn't hurt as much as she thought they would.

She chatted with the squad for a while, but eventually it got to the point where she could barely keep her eyes open. Jax, of course, noticed, and offered to escort her back to the quarters she would be staying in during her time on the _Resolute._

As they had left the Mess, there had been a great deal of whispering and knowing looks; all of which had been ignored by the couple. Now they were lying next to each other, naked and breathing heavily from a bout of love-making.

"I'm still tired," Lylla complained, and felt rather than heard Jax's responding chuckle.

"I guess that would be my fault," he murmured, tracing invisible designs on Lylla's skin, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. Lylla giggled but placed her hand over his, stilling his movements.

"We shouldn't do this very often," she said. "I have a pretty crappy track record."

"Ciri is beautiful," Jax countered. "You're beautiful. And if you have another beautiful child, I will finally think it is possible for me to be an even happier man than I am now."

"I miss Ciri," Lylla sighed, pressing back against his warm body.

"I do, too," Jax said. "Maybe someday I'll have to start calling her 'sir' and saluting her." Lylla giggled again at the mental image she had of Jax saluting the toddler and calling her 'sir.'

"Hopefully the war won't last that long," she sighed after a moment.

"You can hope, Ly," Jax said gently, "but it won't do much. No one side has the upper hand. We'll just keep fighting. Eventually it'll tear everyone apart. No one will win, everyone will lose."

"Don't talk like that," Lylla chastised softly. "All those morbid thoughts. Now's a time to be happy. We were successful in our rescue mission. You might have just possibly gotten me pregnant with another wonderful child. Everyone is safe and happy at the moment. Everyone is safe, Jax. We're safe."

"I know," Jax murmured, kissing the top of her head. "As long as I am around, you and Ciri will always be safe."

"Don't make promises like that in times of war," Lylla whispered, tears springing to her eyes at the vow he had just given her.

"Ly," Jax's voice was colored with amusement, "I just did."

* * *

Rex opened his eyes, blinking the blurriness away. He could tell he was in the medbay; and at the side of his bed sat a familiar pair of montrals. But that was impossible. Ahsoka Tano was dead. Cody had said so. That must mean he was dead too. He had been successful; Jia hadn't.

"Rexie," Ahsoka said quietly when she saw his eyes open, picking up on his thoughts. "Rex, look at me. I'm very much alive. We're not dead. We're both safe and okay. Rex, please, look at me."

"Is that you, 'Soka?" Rex rasped out, trying, and failing, to touch her face. She leaned forward so he could cup her cheek in his hand.

"Yes, Rex, it's me," Ahsoka whispered, trying hard not to cry. "I'm here. With you. Both of us together and alive. Rex, look at me, please."

"Cody said you were dead," Rex murmured, in a trance-like state. "You're dead. I'm dead. I missed you 'Soka."

"Rex, no!" Ahsoka said forcefully. "We are both alive. Together. Safe. Alive, Rex, alive."

"No, you died," Rex argued, still delirious. "I know you died. And I died. Jia tried to stop me, but she couldn't. I couldn't go on without you. I used my own gun."

"Rex, snap out of this," Ahsoka snapped, the tears starting to roll down her cheeks. "Rex, you're scaring me. We are both alive. I promise. Rex, come home to me. Get out of whatever you're in and come home to me."

"We are home, 'Soka," Rex countered weakly.

Scared and fed up, Ahsoka crushed her lips to his with such force he started slightly.

"Proof, Rex," she said when she pulled away. "Proof we're alive and together." Rex looked at her with wide amber eyes filled with shock, and then he grinned.

"We're home, 'Soka," he said, pulling her down in a crushing hug and kissing the top of her head. "We're home." He breathed in her scent deeply and closed his eyes contentedly, believing her for the first time. "I missed you so much."

"I know, Rex," Ahsoka murmured through her tears. "I've missed you, too, more than you know. More than I missed anyone else, including Master." Rex grinned down at her, brushing away her tears with the back of his hand.

"Well, I finally listened." Ahsoka just let out a relieved gasp-laugh and returned his hug tightly. She never wanted to let go.

* * *

Jia stood before the holographic images of the Jedi Council, her team assembled behind her, Anakin and Ahsoka standing off to the side.

"I accomplished my mission, Master Jedi," Jia said, bowing once, respectfully. "I successfully rescued Padawan Ahsoka Tano, and lost no lives in the process."

"It took you more than a year," Palpatine, who Jia had _not_ invited to the meeting, but the Council had, much to her annoyance, said.

"I did what I said I would do, and my team is still intact," Jia told him, incredulity entering her voice. "Does the length of time really matter?"

Palpatine just sniffed, and Jia made some very unseemly hand gestures at him. Lylla laughed but kicked her lightly in the back of the leg.

"Well, congratulations, Jia," Obi-wan said. "I will be glad to have my Commander back."

"Aww, but I wanna keep him," Jia pretended to whine, much to the embarrassment of Cody, who turned bright red. Obi-wan chuckled and shook his head slightly. The rest of the Council bowed their good-byes and signed off; Palpatine quickly followed suit. Jia smiled and turned around to face her team. They watched her with trepidation, not sure what she was going to do.

"Come on, guys, group hug," she said at last, smiling and opening her arms wide. Laughs rose from the team members as they all crowded together, locking arms and squeezing. Jia rested her head on Barriss's shoulder, who was standing beside her.

"I'm going to miss you guys," she said quietly.

"We'll miss you, too, Jia," Barriss assured the assassin. "We will miss you very much."

Jia smiled and hugged tighter, laughing as someone complained.

* * *

The clones stood tall and proud, their armor gleaming. They had returned to Coruscant for an award ceremony, each having earned the Senatorial Medal of Honor. Jia had asked, and gotten permission, to present it to them, and that's what she was doing.

She draped the last medal around Rex's neck, her hands lingering on the injury from when he had tried to commit suicide. He just gave her an encouraging and comforting blink, not being allowed to do much else. Jia smiled and returned to the podium, grabbing the microphone. She was supposed to address the crowd, but instead turned to the team.

Lylla and Barriss were also up on the stage, standing just as proudly as any of the clones. Jia's smile widened. These were her people; her family. They had done well.

"I know I have said this before, but I will say it again: thank you. You all have become my family; the only family I have left," she said, speaking softly into the microphone, the amplifiers carrying her voice as the crowd hung onto every word. She paused and allowed her pride to show in every feature, every movement, every _blink_, of her body. "You all have helped more people than you will ever know, and it is for that that you have gotten the Senatorial Medal of Honor. Congratulations!"

The crowd erupted into cheers and Jia made her way down the line, giving them all a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

She laughed at the clones confused expressions when Senator Amidala offered to take them out to eat, or at the burning red the engulfed their faces when one of the young females asked if they could get a picture or a hug.

And after the celebration, she made her way back to her ship with them. She was leaving that night for Alderaan, and wanted one last chance to say good-bye.

Anakin was waiting for them on the landing platform, as was Luminara and Obi-wan. Ahsoka ran up and hugged her Master tightly, despite the fact that she had just seen him that morning. Jia knew it was an effect from being prisoner so long; the Padawan would be a little clingy for the next few months until the PTSD wore off.

"So, we're done then?" Fives asked sadly. He had enjoyed the adventure. Jia and Jax exchanged a glance, and Jia grinned.

"Not quite yet," she looked pointedly at her brother. "Jax, something you would like to say?"

The Captain took a deep breath and then pulled a small ring out of the pouch on his utility belt. Lylla gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, her eyes wide. Jax knelt down on one knee, just like Jia had told him.

"Lylla Elizabeth Reed, I promise I will always love you and Ciri for as long as I live and longer. I will help you raise her. I will support you any way I can. And I promise I will always come home to you," he said, swallowing hard. "Will you marry me?"

There was a moment of complete silence, no one daring to even breathe. And then Lylla threw herself at Jax, bowling him over and kissing him.

"Oh, yes, Jax, _yes!"_ she cried. "Yes, I'll marry you." She as laughing and crying at the same time, and Jia felt like she was smiling so wide her face would split in two. Jax slid the ring onto Lylla's finger and she held it up to the light, inspecting it happily, before throwing her arms around Jax's neck and kissing him again.

The Jedi stood off to the side, shocked. And then they recovered. Obi-wan was the first one to start clapping, closely followed by Anakin and Luminara. Cody and Rex thumped Jax on the back.

"Well done, vod," Rex said, grinning like a fool. "Well done."

"So, when can we get married?" Lylla asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She was too hyped up on happiness to even stand still.

"Right now, if you want," Jax answered, not even trying to wipe the silly smile off his face. "Just repeat what I say: _mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde."_

Lylla stumbled over a few of the words, but repeated the vows. And then she did it again, to make sure it was right; to make sure it was official. She was still laughing and crying at the same time, and Ahsoka was tightly gripping Rex's hand, as if to silently tell him "_that will be us some day."_

Barriss hugged Cody tightly, tears also in her eyes.

"You're crying," Cody murmured, looking down at her, concerned.

"Tears of happiness, Cody," Barriss told him, smiling up at him. "Tears of happiness."

Luminara watched the interaction with a raised eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Obi-wan looked at Anakin, who was also grinning. It was so hard not to be happy in this moment of perfection.

While everyone was distracted, Jia took the chance to silently sneak aboard her ship and take off, even though she wanted to stay. Even though she couldn't get the smile off her face and tears out of her eyes.

As they felt the ship power up and take off, everyone turned to watch it leave.

"She's gone, then?" Ahsoka asked curiously.

"She'll come back," Lylla said, still smiling.

"How do you know that?" Barriss asked. Jax kissed his new wife and then looked over her head at the Healer.

"Because I know Jia," he answered, a mirror of something he had once told the assassin girl. And no matter what, no matter how far away she goes, no matter what messes she gets into and what enemies she makes, she always comes back to her family. Always."

Almost without thinking about it, the team, and Ahsoka, grouped together again, linking arms and leaning against each other, exchanging smiles and words and happy tears and laughs. The three Jedi stood off to the side, watching.

"They'll never be the same," Anakin commented quietly, thoughtfully. "The clones, and our Padawan, and the civilian. They'll always rely more on each other than on anyone else."

"Do you think we could have gotten done what she did?" Luminara pondered out loud. "Do you think we would have had the courage and the resolve to do everything she went through to get Padawan Tano back?"

"That's why she is who she is," Obi-wan answered, a little regretfully. He wished he had the nerve to do what Jia had done, to anger who she had, to rescue what she had. "She does the things no one else will do to keep the ones she loves safe."

The team had formed a loose circle around the two newly-weds and a "kiss, kiss" chant was rising. Lylla threw her head back, laughing, before stretching up and giving Jax a nice, long kiss. The team cheered and laughed, Ahsoka and Barriss hugging Lylla tightly, congratulating her, the clones thumping Jax on the back and saying something that made the Captain turn red even though he laughed.

"She made a family," Obi-wan murmured at last. "I would not have been able to do that." Anakin smiled at some memory.

"Remember when we first met her?" he asked his former Master. "She seemed so young and vulnerable, and then when you started interrogating her, she seemed like she was ready to kill someone."

"She probably was," Obi-wan pointed out. Anakin chuckled.

"The point is we never really knew who she was," he said. He nodded to the group, now doing something that was making the couple blush extremely and look at each other, embarrassed. The laughter was still heard, and the smiles were still seen. "That's who she is. That's the reflection of the person she is. You know, I told her she would make a good Jedi right before she left for Kamino."

"Really?" Luminara asked curiously. "What did she say?"

"That she gets really angry and hateful so if wouldn't really work out," Anakin answered, laughing. "But now I think the reason is that she knows how to love, and the Jedi don't."

Obi-wan and Luminara were silent as they thought about this, and then they agreed, sadly, with tiny nods.

"She still thinks she is a monster, though," Luminara pointed out softly. "I could sense that thought in her, underneath every other thought of happiness and pride and content she had."

"I think her handler from wherever she came from chose her name well," Obi-wan commented. "She really is an angel."

As the words left his mouth, Viz sent fireworks up into the sky, and they exploding in beautiful, bright colors. Lylla let out a startled cry of delight and grabbed both Ahsoka's and Barriss's hands, directing their attention up to the sky.

Jax came to stand behind Lylla as more fireworks went up and exploded. They would probably get in trouble later, but it didn't matter. Right here, right now, was the only thing that mattered. Barriss leaned in and whispered something to Lylla, and she turned wide eyes on the Healer, before turning to Jax.

She whispered something in his ear, and he froze in shock, before a wide smile split his face. Sure, he would probably get in trouble later, but he didn't care. He had a new wife, a child on the way, and a crazy little sister. Life, for the moment, was perfect.

* * *

_*wipes tear* Alright, guys, it's been fun. Let me know what you thought of this. I know I was grinning like a fool as a wrote the last scene. It just made me so happy. There might be an epilogue or two. It turns out I couldn't tie up _all_ the loose ends in this chapter. You all have been great! :)))_


	68. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Jia was visiting Jacob and Lylla on Coruscant, who was just starting to show her baby bump. Laughing, Jia had also joked she was pregnant, because for whatever reason she had been getting thicker around the middle. It was that comment that had made Lylla take Jia to the doctor, who had confirmed what Jia had joked about.

Now Jia was standing numb in the middle of Lylla's living room, trying to decide who to contact first: the boyfriend, the brother, or the father. She decided on all three at the same and did a group call.

Derek was the first to answer, followed by Boba and Jax.

"What do you want this time Blondie?" Boba sighed, not even looking up from what he was doing. "Last time you convinced me to help you rescue two Jedi. What have you ever done for me to agree to that?"

"How about carrying your child?" Jia offered in a small voice. Boba froze and finally looked at her.

"What?" he asked.

"What?" Jax hissed. Derek glanced at the other two men, and then reached out a hand towards Jia, even though he couldn't touch her.

"Jia, what are you talking about?" he asked quietly.

"Remember when I was slave for Jabba?" Jia asked. "And I had to have sex with Baldy. And we kinda forgot to use protection of any kind."

"What have you done to my vodal'ika?" Jax snarled, turning on the bounty hunter.

"Guys, guys, calm down," Jia pleaded. "I'm just as guilty as he is. I should have thought of that."

"But you only had sex once," Derek pointed out. Jia turned ashamed eyes on him.

"That's all it takes," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, Derek."

Derek took a deep breath than offered her a warm, comforting smile.

"Don't be sorry, Jia," he said. "Mistakes happen. If you want to get rid of the child, you do that how you like, but if you want to keep the child, we will raise it together."

Jia returned his smile, hers a little hesitant, before turning to Jax.

"Please, don't go killing anyone, Jax," she said softly. "I'll get through this. I'll be fine."

"Just give the word, Jia," Jax growled, keeping his glare on the bounty hunter, who glared right back. "We'll all be glad to go kill him for you."

"I know," Jia said, laughing quietly. She turned to Boba. "Baldy, I'll give you a chance to meet your child, if you want, but know that it is Derek and I who will be raising him."

"Him?" Derek asked. Jia nodded, her smile a little less hesitant this time.

"The doctor confirmed it is a boy," she said. She laughed. "We're having a little boy."

"We'll be there for you, Jia," Jax told her, referring to Shadow Squad. "Give us the due date and we'll request leave to come see you."

"I'll come, too," Derek offered. Jia grinned.

"I know you will," she said. She sighed and looked down at her hands. "Can you guys give me a moment to talk to Baldy?"

Jax let out a wordless growl but signed off, followed by Derek, who gave Jia one last comforting smile. Lylla and Jacob, who had been standing in the background, suddenly had somewhere to be and left the apartment. As soon as everyone was gone, Boba immediately became friendlier, his eyes softening as he offered her a gentle grin.

"So I got you pregnant," he repeated. Jia sighed and her lip curled up in a half-grin.

"Yeah," she said. "Now I have a really big attachment to you." Boba chuckled, remembering the little tantrum she had thrown when she had explained to him she would forever have an emotional attachment to him. Now she was bound to him by a child.

"So you aren't getting an abortion?" Boba asked after a moment.

"I do many things, Baldy," Jia said sharply, "but I don't take innocent lives. Especially ones relying on me."

"Calm down, I was just asking," Boba immediately tried to placate her. Jia sighed again and ran a hand through her hair.

"I was thinking of names," she began, "and I was thinking the name Kino would be a good first name. What do you think for a middle name?"

"Why are you asking me?" the question came out harsher than he intended and Jia flinched away from him. He softened his tone. "I will not be raising this child with you. Ask pretty boy."

"It doesn't matter who is raising it and who isn't," Jia snapped. "The child is yours. I am giving you a chance to have some part in the life of him." Boba regarded her with raised eyebrows, than chuckled and shook his head.

"You're not letting me sign off if I don't choose a name, huh?" he asked. Jia shook her head and he laughed, his face lighting up.

"So, get thinking," she told him, biting her lip, trying not to laugh. Boba was silent for a while and then he smiled.

"I think a name from your past," he said. "Someone you loved." Jia tipped her head to the side and pursed her lips.

"Jacques?" she offered at last. Then she shook her head. "No that doesn't work."

"Don't stress over it," Boba soothed. "You have plenty of time." Jia studied him than smiled thoughtfully.

"What did I do to you?" she asked him quietly. "What did I do that has made you so… supportive of me?"

"You tried to kill me five minutes after we first met," Boba reminded her, laughing. Jia rolled her eyes.

"I'm being serious, Baldy!" she cried, then also started laughing. "So, in other words, I earned your respect?"

"Something like that," Boba nodded. Jia smirked.

"Well, I tip my hat to you, sir," she said in a British accent. "As equals." Boba rolled his eyes.

"The next time we meet, we'll probably be enemies," he pointed out to her.

"But no less equal," Jia retorted.

"I'll have leverage over you, though," Boba said. "Your child."

"Why are you telling me this?" Jia asked, all teasing gone. Boba paused in thought, then grinned.

"Force knows," he said. Jia laughed, her eyes lighting up. Then she pursed her lips again and looked him directly in the eye.

"I still hate you," she told him after a moment. He chuckled and allowed himself to feel affection towards her for one small moment.

"I know."

* * *

Jia sat cuddled with Derek in the skyline apartment he had bought on Coruscant, listening to the city nightlife. Kino had been born a couple weeks ago and was currently asleep on the sofa beside Derek.

"I'm really glad you moved here," Jia said, looking up at him from where she was curled against his chest. "Now all my family is in one place. And I get to see you more often since I stop here more than Alderaan."

Derek looked down at her and kissed her forehead, smiling. It had been a while since Jia had rescued Ahsoka, neither one had really bothered to keep track. Jia would still go off on jobs when she would get calls from her contacts, but she stayed on Coruscant more, rooting out corrupt officials and shutting down some of the more raunchy places in the Underworld.

She had finally managed to convince Derek to buy an apartment on Coruscant. He still had his apartment on Alderaan, but he rented it out now. Every month, Jia would go to the Temple to visit Maddison and Prima, and help get Lylla in to visit Ciri. She would usually end up taking Maddison and her pet out on a field trip into the city of Coruscant. Jacob would show up sometimes to visit with them. Since he had left the Order, he didn't like showing his face in the Temple, and Jia couldn't blame him. The Jedi were very cruel to their own sometimes.

Now, she was with Derek, and they were watching the HNN news, which was currently reporting the death of General Grievous. Again.

Derek looked down at Jia again and saw her bite her lip thoughtfully. He could tell her assassin radar was telling her something, but she wasn't going to say anything because she didn't want to lose any of the precious time she had with him.

He thought about telling her to go, but then decided he had something he wanted to talk to her about first.

"Have you ever thought about getting married?" he asked her. "Settling down, having kids. Getting a normal job." Jia looked up at him again and laughed.

"We have a kid," she pointed out. Derek laughed and rolled his eyes, and she elbowed him lightly in the ribs. "But, actually, yeah. Ever since I was a very little girl, I knew I wanted to join the military, and then after the military I was going to become a veterinarian. I wanted to get married to a nice guy, get a house in the mountains, but it was also going to be close to a beach. I was going to have a lot of kids; both mine and adopted. I was going to be normal."

"And then you joined Wolffe's group and…," Derek trailed off and Jia nodded.

"Yeah, pretty much," she said with a sigh. She bit her lip again and her eyes became distant and distracted. Derek chuckled.

"Okay, go," he said, gently pushing her off of him. "Go see what your assassin radars are warning you about." Jia hesitated for a moment, but then smiled and nodded. She slipped a pair of black sweatpants over her pajama shorts and put on her black leather jacket. She zipped it up and then put on both a utility belt (loaded down with three knives, two guns, and a whip) and an ammunition sash. She slid into her combat boots, turned her earbud on and stuck it in, and gave Derek a quick kiss on the lips.

"I'll be back soon," she promised him with a smile. Derek nodded and watched her leave. Even though he knew she always kept her promises, an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach that this time, that promise would be broken.

* * *

Jia flew her speeder to the Jedi Temple. She felt the sudden need to visit Maddison and check on the little girl. She flew swiftly and recklessly, just barely avoiding crashing multiple times.

Finally, she got to the Temple. She parked her speeder on one of the landing platforms and jumped out. The urge became a more consistent throb in her stomach, making it feel as if her stomach was trying to leave her body through her belly-button.

At last, she got to Maddison's dorm and she knocked urgently. There was a pause and then the little girl opened the door.

"Jia," she cried happily. "We were just going to call you."

"We?" Jia repeated, raising her eyebrows.

"Jacob came to visit!" Maddison informed her happily. "And he brought Lylla. But she's somewhere else." She pulled Jia into her dorm and locked the door behind her. Sitting on Maddison's bed, was Jacob. He looked at Jia and nodded his greeting.

"What are you doing here?" Jia asked him, sitting down cross-legged on the floor. Maddison sat down in her lap and Prima came to lie beside the two girls.

"I just had this feeling," Jacob murmured. Jia stiffened.

"Like a sudden need to visit Maddison?" she asked quietly. Jacob nodded and shared a glance with Jia. She was still as she thought. _Both Jacob and I got and feeling of need to check on Maddison. That can't be good. Strange things have been happening recently for the Jedi, as well. _Jia could tell the explanation to this strangeness was in the back of her mind, but whenever she tried to grasp it, it escaped her.

"Okay, Maddie," she said, standing up and forcing a bright smile. "Pack a bag of the things you want to have with you for a week. We're going on a trip!"

"Is Jacob coming?" Maddison asked hopefully.

"If he wants," Jia said carefully. Maddison let out a squeal of excitement and then rapidly started packing a suitcase. Jia shifted impatiently from foot to foot, her feeling changing from need to see Maddison, to need to get the hell out of the little girl's dorm.

After what seemed like hours, Maddison announced she was ready to go and zipped up her suitcase. Jia let out a silent breath of relief and pulled out the handle to the suitcase, rolling it down the hall. Maddison followed with Prima and Jacob brought up the rear.

They were almost to the exit when Jia froze and fell against the wall. Her eyes became wide and horror filled them. Her breathing became raggedy and she started trembling.

"What's wrong?" Maddison asked, tugging on the older girl's jacket. Jia didn't answer her though. She couldn't tell the little Jedi that she had just heard the most horrible three words of her entire life. The three words that turned friends to enemies and called an end to the little girl's life.

"_Execute Order 66."_

* * *

_Okay, this story is officially over. I know you all must hate me, but there it is. I have some ideas for a sequel, but won't focus on turning them into anything unless I know a follow-up story is desired. So, sequel or no?_


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